Weekend Sermon -- New Year Priorities

      This will be the final sermon of the year. I already have some new sermon series planned for next year, and Lord willing we will be getting into those. Also, I have completed the second half of my book on the Minor Prophets, and I will be posting that beginning sometime in January. I want to thank everyone for reading the blog, and I want to thank the Lord for the opportunity to post the messages and the verses each week. 

     As we leave one year and go into another, many people make new year's resolutions. Most people don't keep their resolutions for very long. Going into a new year, I hope that each of us will focus on a couple of areas in our lives, and work to make sure that we keep up all the year long.

     For the new year, I would like to urge everyone to put Jesus first in every area of your lives. In Colossians 3:15, the Apostle Paul tells people to "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts." The way that we do this is by following Jesus as Lord. We do the things that He has commanded us to do, and we follow the will of the Lord in our lives. We need to put the way of the Lord first and do things His way as we make our way throughout the new year. Jesus told us that the Great Commandment was to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. This means loving the Lord with everything that we have. It means putting the Lord first in our lives. 

     If we put Jesus first and let Him rule and reign in our hearts, we will have a good year regardless of what other circumstances might beset us. When we let Jesus be first, we know that we will be with Him one day. That knowledge gives us a peace that passes all understanding. It allows us to persevere even in the hard times of life. 

     The second thing that I would like us to focus on in the new year is that we need to put the needs of others over and above our own needs. I like the way Paul puts it in Philippians 2:3-5 where he says, "Don't be selfish, don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had."

     We do have our own needs. There is nothing wrong with meeting those needs. However, we don't want to just think about ourselves. We want to be thinking about helping others and doing good for other people as we go throughout the new year. There are many hurting people in the world today. As believers in Jesus, we can help others by telling them about the love of Jesus. We can also find ways to meet people's needs in a compassionate and practical manner. 

     I know that many of us who live in more prosperous countries and are able to give of our resources to help others. We can donate to food banks or help others who don't have the means to get through tough times. We all can encourage others and help them in the hard times of life as the Lord enables us. 

     As we go into 2024, let us resolve to put Jesus first and to work to help others. That will make for a great year. In all things, let us ask the Lord that His will will be done in His way throughout every day of the new year. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I am doing well in some areas of my health and not so well in others. Please keep praying that I will get to feeling better all around. Thank you. 

     Please pray for those who are recovering from natural disasters around the world. Pray that they will get the aid that they need. 

     Keep praying for peace. I know that it gets discouraging, but the Lord has told us to keep praying and not lose heart. Let us keep praying for peace in Israel, Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan. 

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

     Next week, I will post the verses on Tuesday due to the New Year's day holiday. I will post the message next Friday. May God bless you all.  

Verses For The Week

 John 3:16 -- "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but shall have everlasting life."

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

Weekend Sermon -- A New Birth

      This is the last message before Christmas. I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and I want to thank everyone for reading the messages over the last year. 

      I am going to keep things a little shorter for our Christmas message today. I want to focus on the idea of new birth. On Christmas, we celebrate the fact that the baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The angels announced the birth of the Savior to the shepherds who were abiding the fields keeping watch over their flocks by night. The shepherds came and worshipped the new born king. We also know that the wise men followed the star and brought their gifts to the infant Jesus. 

     The birth of Jesus brought a great change into the world. The light came into the world. The Messiah was born into the world. The Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world was born among us. 

     The birth of Jesus brought joy, hope and love to the world. The incarnation of Jesus, His sinless life, His sacrificial death on the cross and His bodily resurrection have made it possible that we might have a new birth. 

     In John chapter 3, we are given the record of Jesus' encounter with a man named Nicodemus. Jesus told Nicodemus that unless one is born again, one cannot see the kingdom of God. As Jesus told Nicodemus, that doesn't mean that a person is reborn physically. It means that we all need a spiritual new birth.

     This new birth takes place when a person places his or her faith and trust in Jesus. The Bible says that we confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 

     In II Corinthians 5:17, we are told that, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."   When we come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord, the past is behind us. We are forgiven and made new. We have a spiritual new birth in Jesus Christ. 

     I hope that during this Christmas season that you will accept the gift of love and forgiveness from Jesus. He will change your life completely. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     Please pray about the storms headed toward where I live. We are supposed to have a lot of rain. Pray that there won't be flooding or problems caused by the rain. Thank you.

     Pray for those recovering from natural disasters. Those in Tennessee, the US Northeast, China, Acapulco and many other places need our prayers. 

     Continue to pray for peace. Pray for peace in Israel, Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan this week. 

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

     Next week, the verses will be posted on Tuesday. I will have a message for the New Year. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week and Update

      Sorry about posting the verses late again. The sermon will probably be on Saturday again this week. I am still feeling bad. Please keep praying. Thank you.

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

Psalm 37:5 -- "Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established."

Weekend Sermon -- Why Did He Come?

      It is once again time for the weekend sermon, and I want to thank the Lord for the opportunity to post this message. Thank you for taking the time to read the message this week. 

     This week, we are continuing with our messages for the Advent season. Today, I want to focus on the question of why did Jesus come to this earth as the infant in the manger? What was it that led the Lord of glory to humble Himself and to be found in the same form as humans?

     The answer to our questions begins back in the first book of the Bible. When God originally created the universe, there was no sin that disrupted His creation. God placed humans in the pristine Garden of Eden. They were allowed to have communion with the Lord and with the other creatures that God had made. The Lord asked only one thing of Adam and Eve. He told them that they were not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 

     Eve was tempted by the serpent, and she ate of the forbidden fruit. She gave the fruit to Adam, and he ate of the tree as well. Sin entered into the world. The Bible says in Romans 5:12 that sin entered into the world by one man, and death passed upon all. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God. 

     Adam and Eve were driven out of the garden. The earth was cursed for man's sake, and all of the universe was tainted by sin. 

     In spite of humanity's rebellion against God, God provided the promise of a redeemer beginning in Genesis 3:15. Many other prophecies were given throughout the Old Testament letting the people know that the Messiah was going to come. 

     Jesus was born on Christmas Day in order that He might be the one to take away the sins of the world. Because of Adam's sin, everyone was born under sin and deserved the penalty of sin. God became man in order that He might succeed in every way that Adam failed. Jesus is the man who did what God required. He lived a sinless life. Therefore, Jesus could be the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. He was tempted in all ways like us, yet He was without sin. 

     Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross. His death paid the penalty for sins. Through His bodily resurrection from the dead, Jesus conquered the consequences of sin which are death and hell. 

     Those who place their faith and trust in Jesus are then identified with Him, and they are no longer identified with the sin of Adam. Paul puts it this way in I Corinthians 5:22, "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."

     As we see, Jesus came to save of us from our sins. However, He also came to show us how we are supposed to live in this world. Hebrews 1:2 tells us that in these last days, God has spoken to us in His Son. We are to listen to Jesus. We are to follow His teachings and obey His commandments. Jesus serves as our example of behavior in all things according I Peter 2:21. In Jesus, we have the perfect example of what to do in life. If we follow His teachings and the example of His life, we will not go wrong.

     This Christmas season, I hope that you will turn from sin and turn to Jesus if you have not already done soon. I hope that all of us will make a great effort to follow Jesus in all that we do. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     I am still not feeling the best, so I ask that you would continue to pray for me. I thank you for your prayers. 

     Please continue to pray for peace in the world. The situation between Israel and Gaza is horrible right now. We must pray for peace. Please keep praying for peace in Ukraine. Sudan is in great need of prayer. 

     Pray for those who are recovering from the various natural disasters that have occurred around the world. Pray for those in Tennessee, Acapulco and other areas. 

     Pray for immigrants and migrants that they will get the help that they need. 

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

     Next week, we will continue with our Advent theme. I will post the verses on Monday. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week and an Update

      Here are the verses. I am sorry they are delayed. I want to tell everyone that the sermon will be posted on Saturday this week. 

Isaiah 40:4 -- "Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low, the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth."

Malachi 3:1 -- "I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire will come, says the Lord Almighty."

Weekend Sermon -- Waiting

      Thank you for taking the time to read the message today. I hope that all of you are doing well. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to post this message. 

     We are in the Advent season, and one of the aspects of this time of year as we approach Christmas is waiting. I know that when I was young, I had a hard time waiting for the time to come to open up the presents that were wrapped up under the tree.  As I've gotten older, I have to wait for a lot of things like doctor's appointments and such. Waiting is never easy. Sometimes it can cause anxiety and doubt that anything good will even happen. 

     Before the birth of Jesus, there was a long period of waiting. When Adam and Eve sinned in Eden, God gave the first mention of a redeemer which we find in Genesis 3:15. This verse states, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between her offspring and your offspring, he shall bruise your head, and you will strike his heel." This is the first prophecy that one would come who would crush the work of Satan.

     From that time until the birth of Jesus, thousands of years went by. During that time, the Lord continued to give messages that the Messiah was coming. Isaiah and Micah are just a couple of the prophets who told that people that the Messiah was on the way. People needed to be ready and keep their hearts and minds set upon the things of the Lord. 

     Looking back, we know that the Messiah did come. Jesus was born on Christmas Day. Galatians 4:4 tells us that when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son. Everything worked out just right in God's timetable of events. 

     Those of us who are believers in Jesus are looking forward to the Second Advent. This is the time when Jesus will come again just as He promised. One place we read about this is in John 5:28-29.  Jesus will return and judge the world. He will restore all things to the way that they were before sin entered into the world. 

     It has been 2,000 years since Jesus left this earth, and we continue to wait for His coming. We know that some people mock and discount the fact that Jesus will come again. The Bible tells us in the writings of Peter that this will be the case. We also know that just like in the first Advent, Jesus will come again at just the right time in God's timetable. 

     Because God kept all of His promises about the first coming of the Messiah, we can have confidence that what He told us about the Second Coming is true also. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever. 

     While we are waiting in anticipation of the coming of our Lord, we have to remain ready. Jesus told us in Matthew 24:42 to stay awake, for we do not know when He is going to come again. In anticipation of the fact that Jesus could return at any moment, we need to remain faithful. We need to be living lives of holiness so that we are not ashamed at His coming. We need to continue to obey the Great Commission and tell others that Jesus loves them and wants to forgive them. We need to help others and do good to the least among us. 

     We are waiting. We are waiting for Christmas, and we are waiting for the coming of the Lord again. Let us live for Him always. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     I would ask that you pray with me about my health once again. My arthritis and lung problems are doing well, but I am having a lot of stomach problems. I thank you for your prayers. 

     Continue to pray about the situation in Israel and Gaza. Pray for peace. Pray for the release of hostages. 

     Pray for peace in the other troubles areas of the world. This week, let us focus our prayers on Ukraine and Sudan. 

     Continue to pray that those recovering from natural disasters around the world will receive the aid that they need. 

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

     Next week, we will continue with an Advent themed message. I will post the verses on Monday. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

 Galatians 4:4-5 -- "But when the fulness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons."

Psalm 2:7-8 -- "He said to me, you are My Son, today I have become Your Father. Ask Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance, the ends of the earth Your possession."

A Christmas Memory With My Friend Toby

      I posted this story a few years ago here on the blog. I wanted to post it again so those who might have missed it can see it this Christmas season.

 I have had a great love for astronomy for many years. When I was in college, one of my very favorite classes was the astronomy class that I had the good fortune to take. The course had a great professor, and he made the class both fun and informative. One of the activities that we did during the course of the class was observing sessions. The professor set up three or four large telescopes on the roof of the science building, and we were able to see the moons of Jupiter, sunspots, nearby galaxies, and close up views of the moon. 

     I wanted to have a reflecting telescope for many years, and one year, my Mom bought me a Newtonian reflector for Christmas. I still have that telescope all these years later. The telescope had to be assembled, and my friend Toby was always a willing assembly partner. Whether it came to setting up the Christmas tree or setting up my new computer in my office when I started writing, Toby was always there. 

     After Toby finished pushing around the pieces with his nose and sitting on the directions, I was able to finish setting up the telescope. It was time to take the telescope outside and view the stars in the heavens. My folks were going to a Christmas Eve party, so it was just me and Toby out underneath the clear night sky. 

     Even though it was a smaller telescope, I was able to see a lot with it. As I was out there with Toby looking at the stars, the thought came to me of how small the two of us were among the vastness of the universe. Even though the universe is so vast, and God is so powerful that He created all things by the world of His power, He stills cared about a man living in the middle of nowhere in Kansas along with the small dog that was the man's best and truest friend. 

     That night, with my friend by my side, I thanked the Lord that He loved me and cared about me. I thanked Him that in the vastness of the world, He allowed Toby and myself to find each other and become friends. I still thank God and praise Him for His power. I thank Him for all the wonderful things that He has done. 

     This Christmas season, remember to thank God for caring about us enough to send His Son to be with us so that we might be with Him in His eternal Kingdom that is to come. 

Weekend Sermon -- Stay In The Spirit Of The Season

      Thank you for reading the message this week. I hope that you are all doing well. For the next few weeks, we will be having messages with a Christmas theme.

      The Advent season is a time when we anticipate the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day. It is to be a time of hope, love, joy and peace. We are to let our hearts be filled with the spirit of the season of Christmas. It is the time to put aside negativity, selfishness, greed and the other emotions and actions that lead to discord and meanness in our world. 

     That is what it is supposed to be. However, that isn't always what seems to happen at this time of year. Often, the time around Christmas is filled with a great deal of negative actions and emotions as well as depression and loneliness. 

      Those of you who have read the blog for awhile known that in addition to writing and ministry work, I also work in retail. I have to deal with customers all of the time, and let me tell you, it seems that every year the people that I deal with are becoming more rude and nasty. This seems to be especially true during the holiday season. It is already in full swing this year. And it's not just me who is noticing this. My colleagues at work have noticed it, and a national radio show has had reports on the rude and obnoxious behavior of many that is increasing. 

     As believers in Jesus Christ, let us make sure that we do not engage in rude and offensive behavior during this holiday season. It is not a good testimony for the Lord when those who claim to be His followers act in a mean and unkind manner. Those of us who follow Jesus should be the kindest and most respectful of people in our interactions with others. We want the people that we interact with to see the love of Jesus living in us and coming out of us to others. 

     There are a couple of things that I would like us all to keep in mind as we enter the holiday season. First of all, remember the words of Jesus when He said to do unto others as you would have done to you. Always treat others in the same way that you would like to be treated. Jesus told us to love our neighbors as ourselves.  Also, remember the admonition of the Apostle Paul that we should always be kind do one another and tenderhearted. 

     When you are with family and friends, or out shopping, remember to always think about what Jesus would do in any given situation. If we pattern our lives and actions after the Lord Jesus, we can't help but to have a great holiday season. 

     Finally, remember the message of the angels to the shepherds during this holiday season. They came bringing a message of peace to all. Let the peace of Christmas be in your heart. Let Jesus guide you and let His peace be in you. And may you give the peace of Jesus to all with whom you come in contact this holiday season. Amen.

 Prayer Requests

      There is supposed to be some bad weather in my area over the next couple of days. Pray that we don't have any ice problems. 

     Pray for peace in this world. I am glad that some of the hostages have been freed. We need to keep praying for peace in Israel. Pray that peace will prevail during this season of the Prince of Peace. Also, continue to pray for peace in Ukraine, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and other places where there is turmoil.

     Keep praying for those recovering for the storm in Acapulco.

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

     Next week, we will continue with a message for the holiday season. On Monday, I will post the verses. May God bless you all.