Verses For The Week

 Psalm 3:3 -- "But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head."

Matthew 11:28 -- "Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

The Weekend Sermon -- The Attributes of God -- Part Five

     I want to thank the Lord for giving me another opportunity to post the Weekend Sermon. Thank you for taking the time to read the message. 

     As most of you are aware, we've been studying the attributes of God for the past several weeks, and we will be studying them for a few more weeks. Today, I want us to focus on the fact that God is holy. Before I forget, I would also like to recommend a book on this topic. R.C. Sproul has written a great book called, "The Holiness of God". I believe that you will find this book very helpful. 

 

     What does it mean that God is holy? It means that God is without sin. It means even more than this. God is not able to be touched by sin, and God does not allow sin into His presence. That is one of the reasons that those who have sinned are separated from God. 

     There are a number of verses in the Bible that speak to the idea of God's holiness. One of the passages that tells of the holiness and the majesty of God is found in the book of Isaiah chapter 6. In this chapter, Isaiah has a vision of God seated on the throne of Heaven. Above where God was seated on His throne, winged seraphim cried out continuously,  "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, the whole earth is full of His glory." The word holy being repeated three times signifies that God is perfect and complete in His holiness. Isaiah was overcome and completely undone by this experience. 

     There is another great passage that tells us of the holiness of God. This passage is in Revelation chapter 4. In this passage, John is shown the throne room of Heaven. One of the features of the throne room of Heaven is that there are four living creatures there. They continuously cry out, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come." This is another majestic image of the complete holiness of the Lord."

     The Bible also tells us that since God is holy, He expects us to be holy. One place that we see this is in I Peter 1:15-16 that states, "But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all of your conduct. Since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'". Jesus told us that without a life of holiness, no one can see the Lord. 

     We know from the Scriptures that no person is holy in their natural state. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, not even one. So, how do we become holy and reconciled to God? We can not do it through human effort. Keeping the Law does not bring holiness. Good works do not bring holiness. The only way that we can be holy positionally is by being born again and receiving the new birth. We become dead to sin and we are made alive in Christ Jesus.

     Here is how it happens. When a person accepts Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, a great exchange takes place. Jesus forgives us of our sin and removes our sin from us as far as from the east is from the west. He then imputes His righteousness to us. We receive the righteousness of Christ. When God sees us, He no longer sees us in sin, He sees us clothed in the righteousness of His dearly beloved Son. The Bible says it like this in II Corinthians 5:21, "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

    Now, that makes us positionally righteous and holy. However, we are called to be holy and sanctified while we are living this life. I Thessalonians 5:23 tells us, "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

  

     Living a life of holiness that is pleasing to the Lord is an outward evidence of the inward work of the Lord Jesus within our hearts. When have a true possession of faith and not merely a profession of faith, it will be manifested in a life lived for the Lord and life lived in the avoidance of sin. 

 

     We are called to live lives of holiness to please the Lord. The only way that we can do it is to rely on the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth. It all starts when we call upon the Lord Jesus to save us and give us a new life in Him. Amen.

Prayer Requests.

     I am feeling a lot better. I thank the Lord for this, and I thank you for your prayers. 

     Please remember to pray for those suffering as a result of the disease outbreaks around the world. Here in the US we are dealing with Covid and the flu. China is having a Covid outbreak. Parts of Africa are having a cholera outbreak, and Uganda has been dealing with ebola. Pray that all this disease will end. Pray that the sick will recover. 

     Continue to pray for peace in the troubles areas of the world. Let us really focus on praying for peace in Ukraine. Also, let us pray that the unrest in Peru and Haiti will come to an end. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Taiwan and Sudan. Pray that many will come to know of the love of Jesus. 

     Next week, we will continue in our current series. I will post that verses on Monday and a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. 

     

A Favorite Author

      I just learned this week that one of my favorite authors, Shirley Rousseau Murphy, passed away. She was the author of a number of fantasy novels including the Joe Grey series. Joe Grey was her most popular series featuring a talking cat and his cat and human friends who solve mysteries. 

     I've recommended many of the book in the Joe Grey series here on the blog in the past. I hope that you will read and enjoy these books. There are 21 books in the series, and it is best to start at the beginning and read all the way through. I believe that they are definitely worth it. 

     Thank you Shirley Rousseau Murphy for providing many hours of fun reading with your Joe Grey books. 

Verses For The Week

 Isaiah 58:10 -- "Feed the hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be bright as noon."

Philippians 2:4 -- "Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well."

Weekend Sermon -- The Attributes of God -- Part Four

      Thanks for once again taking the time to read the sermon. I hope that you are all having a good week. I am feeling better. Thank you for your prayers in this matter. 

     Currently, we are in a series of messages on the attributes of God. To recap, we've seen that God has revealed Himself in the Holy Trinity as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is omnipresent, meaning that God's presence is everywhere, and God is omniscient. He knows all things. 

     Today, we are going to look at the attribute of God known as God's omnipotence. This means that God is all-powerful. Let's consider a few of the verses in the Bible that address the omnipotence of God. 

Daniel 4:35 -- "All the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand, or say to Him, what have you done."

Isaiah 14:27 -- "For the Lord of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?

Job 42:1-2 -- "Then Job answered the Lord, I know that You can do all things, and no purpose of Yours can be thwarted."

Luke 1:37 -- "For nothing will be impossible with God."

Colossians 1:16-17 -- "For by Him, all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."

     These are just a few of the many verses to consider when we speak of the attribute of God's omnipotence. The Bible is filled with the mighty acts of the Lord. God created everything that exists by the word of His power. He sustains all existence throughout the entire universe. God parted the Red Sea and allowed the people to walk across on dry ground. He delivered His people numerous times from enemies that were far greater than they were. God has preserved His people and healed many people throughout the ages. The Bible makes is quite clear that there is nothing too hard for the Lord to do. There is none like Him in Heaven nor on earth. 

     What are some of the implications for us do to the fact that all-power belongs to God? For one thing, God has the ability to accomplish His purpose for us. When we come to the Lord Jesus, we have been promised that our sins will be forgiven and we will have a home with the Lord Jesus for all of eternity. Nothing can snatch us out of the hand of God. God is powerful enough to accomplish what He has promised us in regard to our salvation. He will also transform us into the image of His Son. One day, we will be free from the sin that now so easily besets us. That can and will be accomplished because all-power belongs to the Lord. 

     Because God is all-powerful, we know that He has the power to meet the needs that we have in our lives. He is the one that we should always turn to first when we have a difficulty, because He is the one with the power and the wisdom to do something about it.  For instance, God healed people in the Bible. He still has the power to heal today. When we are sick, we can go to Him and pray for healing knowing that we will be healed by His power in accordance with His will for our lives. 

     When we are facing hardships or some type of life difficulty, we can go to the Lord for the answer for our dilemma knowing that He is powerful enough to bring a solution. He has the answers and He has the power to perform all that is in accordance with His will. 

     Another thing that is important about the omnipotence of God is that God has the power to ultimately overcome evil and restore all to the Edenic state. One day, the powers of Hell and death will be defeated forever. God will restore the creation to what is was before sin and evil entered into the cosmic order. He can do that because all-power resides within Him. 

     We serve the all-powerful God. We can trust in the fact that He will accomplish His plans and His purposes for the universe and in our lives. Go to Him when in need. Trust in His power to help you make it through your life. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I am doing better with my health, but I still have a lot of room for improvement. Please keep praying. Also, keep praying about my job situation. 

     Continue to pray for an end to the disease outbreaks around the world. Keep China in prayer, and continue to pray for the US and other countries. Pray that the sick will recover.

     Pray for those recovering from the natural disasters in California and the US South. Pray that people will get the help that they need. 

     Let us pray for peace. Ukraine really needs our prayers. Keep praying for peace in Syria and Yemen. 

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

     Next week, we will continue with our current sermon series. I will post the verses on Monday and try to post something midweek. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

 II Corinthians 3:17 -- "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 

Psalm 119:45 -- "I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out Your precepts."

Weekend Sermon -- The Attributes of God -- Part Three

      It is once again time for another posting of the Weekend Sermon. I hope that you have all had a great week. I have been doing a little better each day. I want to thank the Lord for giving me the opportunity to post this message. 

     Today we will be studying more in our current sermon series on the attributes of God. In last week's message, we saw that God is omnipresent. That means that there is not a place where the presence of God is not felt. The great implication of this attribute is that Jesus is always with us. He will always be with us now and for all eternity. 

     The attribute of God's omniscience is what I want us to focus our attention on for today. This attribute goes right along with God's omnipresence. God is everywhere present, and at the same time, He knows all about us. Besides knowing all about us, God knows everything that will happen and that has happened. He has complete knowledge of all things in the vastness of the universe. He has everything planned out to transpire in accordance with His divine will. 

Let's look at a few verses that tell about God's omniscience.

Psalm 147:5 -- "Great is the Lord and abundant in strength, His understanding is infinite."

Psalm 44:21 -- "Would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart."

Isaiah 46:9-10 -- "Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other, I am God, and there is no one like me, declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish My good pleasure."

John 2:25 -- "and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He knew what was in man."

     These are just a few of the many verses that speak to the fact that God knows all things. So, what are the implications of this attribute of God to us? First of all, we can have assurance that God has everything planned out. He knows what is going to happen, and He has planned for the history of the universe to ultimately go according to His will and plan. Nothing is going to get by Him or take Him by surprise. We can be confident in the fact that our God will be victorious over everything that stands against Him and His ways. 

     The attribute of God's omniscience also lets us know that God will bring about ultimate justice. He knows every thing that people have done and will do whether good or evil. He knows the thoughts and intents of the heart. One day, when He returns to this earth, Jesus will judge all. He knows what people's motivations and thoughts were and are. He will be able to make a perfect and righteous judgment, because He knows all that is within a person. 

     Finally, we can take heart knowing that the Lord knows everything about us and what we are going through. Even the very hairs of our head are number Jesus said. The Lord knows about our needs. He knows when we need His help, and He knows how to deliver the help we need just when we need it. 

     The Lord is always with us. He knows all about us, and He is the one who can help us now, and in the world to come. What amazes me is that Jesus knows everything about me, yet He loves me anyway. I am thankful for His love and grace. I pray that you will come to know the love of Jesus if you have not accepted Him as Savior and Lord of your life. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     As I mentioned, I am doing a little better with my health day by day. Please keep praying that I will improve. Also, keep praying for an improvement in my job situation. 

     Remember the people in the US south in your prayers. There were some bad storms there this week. Pray that people will get the help that they need. 

     Keep praying about the flooding situation in California. Pray that all of this rain will stop for awhile. 

     Let us all pray of peace in the world. Ukraine, Syria, Yemen and Libya are just a few of the nations that need our prayers. 

     Pray for an end to the disease outbreaks around the world. Pray that the sick will recover.

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

     Next week, we will continue with our current sermon series. I will post the verses on Monday, and I hope to have a midweek post. May God bless you all. 

A Good Friend The Lord Gave To Me

      Friday is actually the anniversary of when I found my friend Toby several years ago. However, since I post the sermon on Friday, I am going to write a little about my friend today. 

     When I was a young man, there was a bad time in my life when I really needed someone to love me for who I was and not what someone wanted me to be. I was quite depressed, and I really didn't want to be on this earth anymore to be honest. 

     When I was at a low point, the Lord Jesus brought something great into my life. He allowed me to find my best friend Toby. He needed a good friend too. Both of us were having a rough time, but when we found each other, it was the best time. 

     Toby was a corgi. He came to me when he was about 17 months old. I found out a couple of weeks after he came to live with me that he had a lot of health issues with the most serious being ulcerative colitis. God allowed us to find a great veterinarian who kept Toby going through all of his health concerns until he was 13.5 years old. We were together for 12 years, and they were the best 12 years of my life. 

    Toby showed me what unconditional love is. He helped me to keep going even when I was really down because I knew that he needed me to help him and take care of him. By bringing my friend Toby into my life, the Lord Jesus showed me that He really cared about me, and He wanted to help me. He wasn't at all how He'd been presented to me in the church I grew up in. 

     The two of us had a lot of fun together. We took trips all over the country. We played all sorts of games. We listened to jazz and classical music together for hours. He even put up with my trumpet playing which he didn't like very well. Toby listened to me practice many sermons as I studied in Bible college.

     Toby has been gone now for a number of years, but I think I miss him more and more everyday. I know that he is in heaven with Jesus, and one of these days we will be together again to have more adventures and fun together. Thank you Jesus for giving me my friend Toby. 

Here is one of the chapters in the book I wrote about Toby and posted on the blog a few years back.

Chapter 7

     If you know anything about Welsh Corgis, you are already aware that they were originally bred by the ancient Celtic inhabitants of Wales to nip at the heels of cattle and sheep as they were being driven to market or from one field to another.  Because of this inbred ability, many corgis have retained the herding instinct to this present day.  Some corgis even win various herding titles awarded by the American Kennel Club and other organizations.
     Toby definitely had the ancient blood of his corgi ancestors running through his veins .  He had a strong desire to herd.  Mostly, he wanted to herd me.  I always told everyone that he must have thought that I looked like a sheep.
     Toby wasn't a traditional herder.  He never tried to nip at my heels.  His method of pointing me in the proper direction was to grab hold of my pant or pajama leg then pull and let go.  Sometimes, he would just grab and release.
     One never knew when the old herding instinct would kick in.  At anytime, anyone in the family, but mostly me, could be mistaken for a white, woolly creature.
     What was really funny is when Toby would herd me places my parents wanted me to go.  For instance, if I was in my room and my Mom called that dinner was ready, Toby would make sure that I made it to the dinner table quickly.  I think that he was just as excited about dinner as I was because he might get some left over goody.
     Toby also liked to evoke his herding talents when the phone rang, and I was at the opposite end of the house.  When the phone rang, I'd head for the phone with Toby nipping my pant leg in an effort to speed my arrival.  It actually slowed me down.  He didn't know that, or at least he didn't care.  He wanted some excitement out of even the most mundane and trivial event.
     Toby also loved to herd the vacuum cleaner.  Whenever I got out the vacuum, Toby would wait until it started and then he would bounce over and bite at the end of it as I made it go back and forth across the carpet.  He would hop at it, dart away then return for another quick bite.  This made vacuuming quite difficult, but it was also a lot of fun.
     While not necessarily a herding behavior, Toby also exhibiting the behavior of grabbing my pant leg and trying to pull me back inside the door when I was going out.  He didn't want me to leave.  The only reason that I could come up with for this behavior was that it was part of the herding instinct to keep his charge from straying.
     One other crazy herding type behavior Toby possessed manifested whenever I would bring the groceries in from the car.  I would try to bring in the groceries, and Toby was just crazy barking and herding me along.  He would jump up and try to get the grocery bags out of my hand.  Once he succeeded.  He got hold of the bag and ripped that sucker wide open.  The bread fell out, and Toby grabbed the bread and went running with it through the house.  Before I could get the bread, Toby shook and shook the package sending slices of bread flying throughout the living room.  I don't know what got into him.  My bringing in the groceries was a really big deal to him for some reason.  He wanted to know what was in those sacks.
     Another cute action of Toby's was his desire to follow me everywhere I went and never let me out of his sight.  My Mom always said that Toby wasn't happy if I wasn't at home for him to keep his eye on me.  We had a really close relationship.  In some ways, we were like brothers, and we both missed each other on the very few occasions when we were apart.
     If I was on the couch watching TV, Toby would always be right next to me.  If I got up, even for just a minute, he came along.
     He always had to be by me.  If I was working in my office or sitting at the kitchen table, he would be there.  When I started working from home all day, Toby stayed in the office for hours.  When he was old, he slept so soundly that sometimes he wouldn't notice when I left for some other part of the house.  I didn't want to wake him up, so I just let him sleep.  It wouldn't be long before he'd be up looking for me.
    As Toby grew older, He also made it known that he wasn't very happy if anyone else got too close to me.  If anyone, including my parents, tried to approach me, Toby would growl until I told him that it was OK.  I was under his complete protection.  I just want to state that Toby wasn't mean.  He never hurt anyone.  He just always looked out for me.  I always felt safe when he was with me.
     These incidents point to the fact that Toby was a fine herder with good instincts.  More importantly, it is another demonstration of the fun and good times we had together and the love we shared.

 

    

Some Thoughts Early In The Year

      I wanted to write a little about the new year that is upon us a few days ago, but I am still not feeling that well. I am doing what I can when I can. As the new year is upon us, it is a good time to think about where each of us wants to be spiritually and in our lives as we move ahead into the future. 

     I know that one of the things that I want to do in this new year is find a new job that is not so hard on my health. I have taken the steps to find a new job, and I am praying that the right thing will come along very soon. 

     More importantly, as one begins the new year, it is a good time to take stock of where one is at and where one wants to go spiritually.  I hope that you will continue to come and read the sermons and the other posts here on the blog. I have several different sermon series already planned for the year that is ahead. 

     Going into the new year, there are things that I want to do more of as the year progresses. I have made a commitment to make sure that I get the book that I am writing on the Minor Prophets finished and posted here on the blog by the end of the year. 

     I also want to make sure that I do more reading and studying of the Bible in 2023 than I did in 2022. I want to read more theology books and study more. I got a little off track last year due to a lot of health problems. I hope to rectify things this year. There is something that I want to encourage you all to do. Read a portion of the Bible everyday. If you have never read the entire Bible, I urge you to do so. If you think that might be too much of an undertaking, at least make a commitment to read the New Testament in 2023.

     One thing that I want to do more of this year, and I hope that you will to, is to share the message of the love of Jesus with more people this year. There are so many people all around us who don't know the message of Jesus and that He can forgive them and save them from their sins. We have all been given to mission to tell others about Jesus. Let us all commit to doing more in this year. 

     I am sure that you all have goals and plans for the new year. Don't forget to put the Lord Jesus first in all that you do. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

 Psalm 118:8 -- "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans."

Isaiah 26:3 -- "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You."

John 14:1 -- "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me."

Weekend Sermon -- The Attributes of God -- Part Two

      Welcome to the sermon this week. I hope that you are all have a great start to the new year.  I am still not in the best of health, so please keep praying for me. I would like to thank the Lord for the opportunity to post the message this week. 

     Last week, we began a new series of messages for the new year focusing in on the attributes of God. In last week's message, we saw that God has revealed Himself as one God in three persons namely the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 

     In today's message, I want us to look at the attribute of God known as His omnipresence and what the implications of that attribute mean to us.

     When theologians say that God is omnipresent, they mean that God is present everywhere at the same time. There is no place without the presence of God. Now, there are a couple of things that we have to understand. When we say that God is omnipresent, that does not mean that God is in everything or that everything is divine since God is in it. God is transcendent. That means that He stands apart from His creation. However, He is also immanent meaning that He is with us and everywhere present. 

     One of the passages in the Bible that speaks to the omnipresence of God in a very understandable way is found in Psalm 139:7-12. In this passage, the Psalmist tells us that there is no place that he can flee away from the presence of God. If he goes to the heavens, God is there. If he goes to the depths of the sea, God is there. 

     There is a book of the Bible called Jonah that demonstrates that omnipresence of God. In the time that Jonah occurred, many believed that deities were localized and only cared about what happened in a particular area. Jonah thought that he could disobey God and get away from Him if he fled to the uttermost part of the known world. However, Jonah soon saw, that God is everywhere. He could not flee from the presence of the Lord. 

     We also see the idea of God's omnipresence in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. The Word became flesh the Bible tells us. Jesus, the second person of the Holy Trinity, took upon Himself humanity. However, all that is God did not become localized in the person of Jesus. God in His fulness was still everywhere present. 

     So, what does this attribute of omnipresence mean to us. First of all, knowing that God is present everywhere should give us comfort and caution. As far as comfort is concerned, Jesus told us that He would always be with us and that He would never leave us. Jesus is God and therefore in His omnipresence He is with each and everyone of us as we go through the struggles of life. In our joys and in our sorrows, Jesus is with us in order to both encourage us and to help us.  He is our constant source of strength even in the most difficult of times. 

     On the other hand, the omnipresence of God should be a caution. God is not out of the loop so to speak. He knows what we are doing at every moment. Some people sin and do what is displeasing to God without much of thought. However, everyone of us needs to realize that the Lord is everywhere. He sees those things that we think we are getting away with. He knows when we are doing what is right and when we are doing what is wrong. That should give us pause and cause us to always want to do those things that are pleasing to the Lord. 

     The omnipresence of the Lord also has implications for ultimate justice. There is a lot of wrongdoing and injustice in this world. But the Lord is everywhere present. Nothing is getting by Him. One day, all will be brought to light. No one is going to get away with wrongdoing, because the Lord sees all. He will one day call to account those who have acted unjustly to those who are the least among us in this world. 

     We serve a mighty God who is everywhere and yet individually with each and every one of us in the person of Jesus Christ. Let us live in such a way that we please the one who is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     As I previously mentioned, I am still dealing with health issues. I am going to the doctor on Monday to see why I am still have so much trouble with my breathing. Please pray that I will improve. 

     Continue to pray for an end to all of the sickness and disease that is in the world right now. 

     Pray for peace in the world. Ukraine, Syria, Yemen and Congo all need our prayers right now.

     Pray that the weather will improve in the western US. There is a lot of flooding there right now. 

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

     Next week, we will continue with our current sermon series. I will post the verses on Monday. I hope to have a midweek post, but I cannot guarantee it. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

 Isaiah 43:18-19 -- "Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

Matthew 6:33 -- "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."