Verses For The Week

 John 13:15 -- "For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you."

I John 2:6 -- "The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked."

The Weekend Sermon -- The Attributes of God -- Part 9

   Thank you for reading the sermon this week. I hope you are doing well. 

     Over the course of the last several weeks, we've been studying some of the attributes of God. We continue that study this week by focusing our attention on two of God's attributes that are linked. God is merciful, therefore, He is willing to forgive us of our transgressions. 

     We discussed the fact last week that God is a God of justice. Since He is a just and holy God, it is part of His nature that He must punish sin. That is only a part of who God is. We must take into consideration His other attributes as well. God is holy and God is just. At the same time, God is also merciful and forgiving. 

Here are a few verses that speak to us about the merciful nature of God:

Exodus 34:6-7 -- "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgressions and sin."

Psalm 145: 8-9 -- "The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works."

Lamentations 3:22-23 -- "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness."

Ephesians 2:4-5 -- "But God who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).

     These are just a sampling of the verses in the Bible that deal with the merciful nature of the Lord. He does not desire that any person perish the Bible tells us as well. He wants for everyone to come to repentance. He will forgive the sins of anyone who asks. I John tells us that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

     Some people teach and preach that God is just looking for something that we do wrong so that He can punish us and cause bad things to happen to us. However, the teaching of Scripture is quite clear, the moment that our forbears fell into sin, God found a way to bring about the salvation of the human race and the restoration of the fallen creation. 

     God sent His Son into the world to redeem the world. Jesus satisfied the justice of God as well as the mercy and love of the Lord. God loved the world and gave His Son in order that all who call upon the name of Jesus might have eternal life and be with Jesus forever and forever. 

     Since God is merciful and forgiving to those who have done wrong to Him, He wants us to be merciful and forgiving to others. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Jesus commands us in Luke 6:36 to, "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful."

     What amazes me is that in spite of the fact that we have rebelled against our creator and decided to follow our way and not His way, God still cares about us. He does not want to punish us. Instead, in His mercy, He makes a way for us to be reconciled to Him. 

     For those of us who have experienced the mercy and forgiveness of God as realities in our own lives, we have the obligation to be merciful and to forgive those who trespass against us. When we are willing to be merciful and to forgive, we demonstrate that the grace of the Lord Jesus is a reality in our lives and that we are committed to following Him as Savior and Lord. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I have not been feeling well again. Please pray that I will get back to being in good health. I've been mostly not well since I had covid back in August. Thank you for your prayers.

     We need to keep praying that aid will reach the people in Turkey and Syria. 

     There has been bad storms in Mozambique and Madagascar. Pray that these people will get the help that they need. 

     Continue to pray for peace in Ukraine. It is the one year mark since the war began. That country needs peace, and we need to keep praying for peace in Syria, Yemen, Israel and around the world. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Nepal and Bosnia. 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 may have a midweek post. May God bless you all. 

     

Verses For The Week

 James 4:10 -- "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you."

Matthew 16:26 -- "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

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

Weekend Sermon -- The Attributes of God -- Part 8

      Thank you for stopping by to view the Weekend Sermon. Usually, I post the sermon on Friday, but this week I had to move it back a day because I couldn't get to the library to post the message before I had to be a work. 

     Today, we are moving on in our series of messages dealing with some of the attributes of God. I want to focus on the fact that God is just and He will bring about ultimate justice. 

     There are two things to focus on when we talk about the fact that God is just. First of all, God is just in that He will bring about what is right and what is good. He will always act in a manner that is fair and impartial. Secondly, because it is in His nature to be just, God has to punish sin. When people sin against the Lord, the Lord must fairly and justly bring about the required punishment for sin. 

     Deuteronomy 32:4 tells us that "The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He. In the book of Job we are told that it is unthinkable that God would not do what is just and right. Zephaniah tells us that God never does anything that is unjust. 

    There is an important passage of Scripture found in Romans 2:6-8 that details for us that God is just. This passage reads, "God will repay each person for what they have done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek, glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and reject the truth and follow evil there will be wrath and anger.

     When Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden, God had to punish their sin because He is a just God. He could not let them get away with their sin. All have sinned, and the wages of sin is death. However, as we will see more of in the coming weeks, God is not just a just God. He is a God of love and mercy as well. The Bible makes it clear that God sent His Son the Lord Jesus to take away our sin. Jesus paid the penalty for sin. Paul puts it this way in Romans 3:25-26, "God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, In order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand. He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus. 

     God being a God of justice cannot accept us into His presence in our current sinful state. However, the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross and what He did for us makes us righteous in the sight of God when we place our faith in the Lord Jesus. II Corinthians 5:21 tells us, "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."

     When we confess our sins to the Lord, He takes our sin. In place of our sin, the Lord imputes to us His righteousness. When God looks at us He sees us clothed in the righteousness of His dearly beloved Son. Because of this, the wrath of God passes over us, and the demands of God's justice are satisfied in the righteousness of Christ. 

     Now, I want us to look at the second aspect of the fact that God is just and a God of justice. He will bring about ultimate justice. There is a lot of wrong and a lot of evil in this world. People are oppressed and the have a lot of wrong done to them. People often think that the evil doers and the oppressors are going to get away with what they have done. Nothing could be further from the truth. 

     When Jesus comes again, He will judge the world and He will bring justice for all of those that were oppressed. Those that have done what is evil will be punished for what they have done to cause pain and hurt to others. In Deuteronomy we find that God cares about the poor, the immigrant, the oppressed the hungry and hurting. He will bring about justice for these people against their oppressors. That day is coming. 

     Because God is just, He will not leave this world and its abused people and creation in their current state. Jesus will come and with Him will come justice. His judgment will be based on the good or bad that we have done for the least of those among us. Those have done good to the least among us it is as if we have done it unto Him. Those who have opposed and oppressed the least of those among us, it is if they have opposed and oppressed Jesus Christ Himself. 

     It is important that we as believers in Jesus act justly and speak up for what is just and what is right in this world in the name of Jesus. I wrap this message up with the Word of the Lord from 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." Amen.

Prayer Requests

     We did not have a bad winter storm in my area. It was a little icy, but not bad. I am feeling quite a bit better, and things are going some better at work. I thank you all for your prayers. I thank the Lord for His goodness. 

     Please keep praying in regard to the situation in Turkey and Syria. There is aid reaching the people of Turkey, and I thank God for that. Syria is not getting as much assistance, so we need to keep praying that everyone in this situation will get the aid and the help that they need in the days and weeks to come. 

    Let us pray about the situation with the train in Ohio. People there are hurting. Let's pray that this situation will be resolved quickly and correctly. 

     Continue to pray for peace on earth. Syria, Ukraine, Israel, Yemen, Libya, Congo, Central African Republic and Haiti are just a few of the troubled areas that need our prayers for peace. 

     Pray that the diseases harming people in this world will abate. China is dealing with Covid. Many places still are. There is Ebola in Uganda, and many parts of  the world are dealing with cholera. Pray that the sick will recover, and that people will get the medical care and help that they need regardless of their ability to pay. 

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

     Next week, we will continue learning more about the attributes of God. I will post the verses on Monday, and I hope to post something midweek. May God bless you all. 

     

An Update, Prayer Request and Some Things I Want To Say

     First of all, the sermon will not be posted until Saturday this week. 

     Second. Please pray that we do not get a bad winter storm with ice in my area. Thank you. Also, keep praying for the people affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

     Now, there are a couple of things that I would like to say. In my country, there is currently a push in a few states to weaken the child labor laws. One state is proposing that children as young as 14 be allowed to work in meat packing, mining and other dangerous industries. Supposedly, this is to address the so called labor shortage in the US. 

     In my thinking, this is disgusting to even be considering something like this. Back in the early 1900s, political leaders and religious leaders worked diligently to protect children with child labor laws. They worked for the eight hour day, safe working conditions and other important protections. We don't want to role these things back now just for the sake of more human greed. 

     Moving on. There is controversy over the ads run by a Christian group during the Super Bowl. I did not watch the Super Bowl. However, there was nothing wrong with these ads. I have no idea why some politicians are upset about them. Jesus and His way are what we are to follow. It is best not to listen too much to people that would attack the Lord Jesus and His teachings. 

Verses For The Week

 II Corinthians 8:9 -- "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich."

Matthew 20:28 -- "... the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Please keep praying for the people of Turkey and Syria. 

Weekend Sermon -- The Attributes of God -- Part 7

      It is once again time for the weekend sermon, and I would like to thank the Lord for giving me the opportunity to post this message. I hope that you have all had a very good week. 

     For the past several weeks now, we have been in a series of messages where we are examining some of the attributes of God. We are learning how God is described in the Bible. We are learning about His essence and His character. 

     In today's message, I want us to look at God's creativity. I believe that it is quite evident that the Bible shows us that God is a creating and a creative God. 

     First of all, we see the creativity and the creative power of God through His creation of the universe and all that it contains. The Bible tells in the first couple of chapters of the book of Genesis that God created all of the heavenly bodies as well as this earth and the creatures in it. He would go on to create humans in His own image. 

     If you take the time to look at this world, it is magnificent. The beautiful animals in this world show that God is creative. Think about the colors, textures, shapes and arrangements that God placed upon the canvas of this world. It is amazing. The Bible says in Colossians 1:16 that, "For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or powers, or rulers, or authorities, all things have been created through Him and for Him."

     The universe is God's work of art. As a creative person who works in writing and to a lesser extent in visual arts, knowing that we have a God who creates beautiful things is so important to me. He understands beauty and the expression of the beautiful visually, aurally and tactilely. 

     There is something that I would like to state here. God is an artist, and this earth is part of His artistry. No artist wants to have His work of art damaged, vandalized and destroyed. We do not have the right to mar God's masterpieces of art. We are called to be stewards of creation not abusers and destroyers of what God has made. 

     God has show his creativity and creative power in creating the earth, and the Bible tells us that one day He will make a new Heaven and a new Earth. He will restore His creation to what it was before sin entered into the world. Revelation 21 tells us something about the new creation that is to come. 

     There is another way that God shows for His creative power. That is through the redemption of human beings. II Corinthians 5:17 tells us that when we come to salvation through Jesus Christ, we are made a new creation. The old person that we were is done, we become new in Him. The Lord creates in us a new heart. Ephesians 2:10 states that we are God's handiwork. He has created us to do good works.

     God has awesome creative power. We can see it all around us. The Lord can create in you a new heart if you are willing to dedicate your life to following Him. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     My brother is doing well. Please keep praying that he will make a complete recovery from his cardiac problem. 

     I am very sad about what has happened in Turkey and Syria. Over 20,000 have died. Please pray that if there are any people still alive and trapped that they will be found and rescued. Pray for those who are hurting at this time. There is so much need in this area. Please pray that the people will get the food and the shelter that they need right now. 

     Continue to pray for an end to the disease outbreaks in the world. Malawi is having problems with cholera. Covid continues to be a problem in many places. Pray that the sick will recover. 

     Pray for an end to the unrest in this world. Pray for peace in Syria, Libya, Ukraine, Afghanistan and Yemen. Pray for any area that you know of that is experiencing war or discord. 

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

     Next week, we will continue with our current sermon series. On Monday, I will post the verses. Midweek, I believe that I will have a post about an issue that is really bothering me. May God bless you all. Amen. 

Answer to Prayer and Prayer Request

      I just wanted to thank the Lord for the fact that my brother is doing well. He is out of the hospital and pretty much back to normal. 

      Please pray that there is not a bad ice or snow storm in my area tonight. 

      We all really need to be praying about the situation in Turkey and Syria with the earthquake. Pray that people can still be rescued, and pray that the people will get the aid and assistance that they need. 

Verses For The Week

 II Corinthians 4:18 -- "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is not seen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. "

Colossians 3:1-2 " Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, and not on earthly things."

The Weekend Sermon -- The Attributes of God -- Part 6

      Thank you for taking the time to read the sermon. Before we start, I have something I would like you to pray about. My brother is in the hospital with a cardiac condition. Please pray that he will be well. Thank you. 

     Today, we will continue with our series of messages designed to help us understand a little bit better what the God we worship is like. One of the attributes of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the fact that He is unchanging. 

     The way that I understand this attribute, this means two things. First of all, in His nature, God is the same. I also believe that this attribute of God signifies to us that God is a God who will always keep His word and His promises. He does not change in regard to what He tells us that He will and will not do. 

     Let us focus on the first aspect of God as unchanging. Without getting too deep into theology, there are some who are now teaching that God is in process. He is not static, but He is in the process of becoming. This is not in keeping with the Scripture. Malachi 3:6 tells us, "For I the Lord do not change, therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed."  We also learn from Psalm 102:25-27 -- "Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands. They will perish, but you will remain. They will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe. and they will pass away, but you are the same, your years have no end."

     God is fully divine in His nature. There was never a time when He was not God, and they will not be a time when He is not God. Our God is the king of all creation. He is the creator and sustainer of all things. As God told Moses at the burning bush, "I Am who I Am."

     Now, as I said, I believe that the unchanging nature of God has another aspect. Because God is unchanging, He cannot lie. He will always keep His promises, and we can rely on His word to us and all people. Numbers 23:19 tells us, "God is not man, that He should lie, or a son of man that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it?

     We know as Christians that Jesus is divine. He is the incarnate Second Person of the Holy Trinity. One of my favorite verses is Hebrews 13:8 that reads, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."

     It is important for us as believers to know and understand that God in unchanging. He has told us that if we come to Him, He will receive us and forgive of us our sin. He will not remember our sins against us anymore. We can know this and believe it because God has given His promise to us, and He will keep His word. We know that Jesus has told us that He has gone to prepare a place for us. He told us that He is the resurrection and life, whoever believes in Him though He were dead yet shall he live. Because of what Jesus has told us, we know that death is not the end for the one who is in Christ. We will be with Him forever. 

     Jesus told us that one day He would come again and the earth would be made new. We can place all of our hope and confidence in this because God keep His promises. He does not change, He does not change, He does not break His promises. 

     Jesus said that whoever comes to Him, He will not cast them out. That still holds true. If you have never trusted in the Lord Jesus for salvation from sin, you can come to Him this very day, and I hope that you will. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

      I want to report that I am doing a lot better with my health. I thank the Lord for this, and I thank you for your prayers. Also, things at work are going a lot better. 

     Please continue to pray that all of the sickness that is besetting the world right now will go away. RSV, flu and Covid are still in my country. China is having a Covid outbreak. There is cholera and malaria around the world. Some countries are dealing with Ebola. Pray that the sick will recover. Also pray that those who are suffering from treatable diseases will be able to get the help that they need. 

     Pray for peace in the troubled areas of the world. Pray for Haiti. Pray for peace in Ukraine, Israel, Yemen and Syria. Pray for peace in the Central African Republic and Congo.

     There is a bad ice storm in the US. Pray that those without power will get their power back on quickly. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week please pray for those in the nations of  Japan and Ivory Coast. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

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

Enough Already

      Today's post isn't about something that I normal post about midweek. However, there are some things that are really irritating me. First of all, I wish that politicians in my country would stop trying to take things away from poor people. Right now in the state of Iowa there is a bill that is trying to take food stamp benefits away from people. Originally, the bill would have stopped those on food stamps from purchasing fresh meat, white bread and many other products. After outcry by the public, the legislature is going to drop that part of the bill. However, there are many other restrictions in the bill against the poor getting Medicaid and food stamp benefits. 

     It is not right to take things away from those who are less fortunate while trying to do more to benefit the rich. One proposal in the House of Representatives of the United States wants to replace the current tax system with a 30 percent sales tax. This will only hurt the poor while giving the rich more money in their pockets. 

     Finally, enough with the book banning. As a writer, I just can't support this. There are objectionable things from a Christian perspective in a lot of literature. If you don't like it, don't read it. If you don't want to let your children read it, opt out. 

     Thank you for reading these opinions.