Something Interesting

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An Interesting Article

 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/22/opinion/christmas-jesus-power-humility.html?unlocked_article_code=1.jk4.ZNVE.1eE3g0sQk7Hy&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&tgrp=ctr

Merry Christmas

     I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I hope that you have a wonderful holiday season. 

     It is my hope and prayer that during the Christmas season that we will remember what the Incarnation is all about. God became man in order to redeem humanity from the fall. Jesus is called the Second Adam in the Bible. He succeeded in every area where the first Adam failed. Jesus lived a sinless life in order to be the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. He is the Messiah. The Promised One who has come to save His people from their sins. 

     If you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus, I invite you to turn to Jesus in repentance and faith during this Christmas season. Accept God's gift of love and forgiveness. Allow Jesus to be the Lord of your life. He will change your life now and for all eternity. 

Verses For The Week

 I Timothy 6:18 -- "Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always ready to share with others."

Luke 6:31 -- "Do to others as you would have them do to you."

Weekend Sermon -- "The Savior Has Come"

      I want to thank you all for taking the time to read this week's message. I hope that you are all having a wonderful holiday season. 

     This weekend sermon is the last one before Christmas comes around. In keeping with that, I wanted to bring a message that was about the Christmas season. 

     A topic that has interested me for quite some time is the various prophecies that one finds in the Old Testament about the Messiah. Some are very familiar like Isaiah 9:6 and Micah 5:2. There are many, many more prophecies about the first and second Advents of the Messiah that we find in the Bible. One of these is found in Jeremiah 23:5-6 that states, "The days are coming declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely, and to do what is just and right in the land. In His days, Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which He will be called, The Lord our Righteous Savior." These verses speak about the first and second Advents of the Lord Jesus. 

     What does it mean when the Lord says He will raise up a righteous branch for David? This is similar to the Messianic prophecy in Isaiah 11 that talks about the Branch. The Lord made a covenant with David. He promised David that a member of his family would reign forever in Jerusalem. The Bible makes it clear that Jesus was born of the line of David. He is the Branch that God raised up from the line of David to fulfill the covenant. 

      When Jesus was on this earth during His first Advent, there were a number of things that He accomplished and Messianic prophecies that He fulfilled. While on this earth, Jesus lived a holy and sinless life in order that He might be the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. When He was on the cross, Jesus bore our sins in His body in order that He might pay the penalty for sin that we could not pay. He became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. As our verse for the day tells us, Jesus became our Righteous Savior by dying for us and taking away our sins. Whosoever will call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

      The Bible is clear that the Messiah will come again. That is known as the Second Advent, and that is what much of our verses for the day are speaking to us about. When Jesus comes again in power and great glory, He will sit on the throne of His father David, and His reign will have no end. He will only do what is right, and He will only do what is just. All people will dwell in safety on the earth. Perfect justice and perfect peace will be the order of the day. There will be no more oppression, and there will be no more war. 

     Jesus came into this world as God and man. He came to redeem us from sin and from the consequences of sin. When He comes again, He will make all things new, and everything will be returned to the state in which it existed before sin entered into things. 

     Jesus has made a way for us to be redeemed and have forgiveness of sins. I urge you during this Christmas season to accept God's gift of love in Jesus and turn your life over to Jesus making Him your Savior and Lord. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I need a lot of prayer right now. I am having some bad health problems. Please pray that I will get better. Thank you. 

     Pray for those who are suffering from depression during this holiday season. 

     Continue to pray for peace. Pray for Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Syria, Sudan and anyplace where you know there is conflict. 

     Let us pray for those affected by the bad storms. Mayotte was hit by a terrible storm. Pray that aid will reach the people. People in Madagascar, Comoros and Mozambique were also affected by the storm. Pray that they will also receive the aid that they need. 

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

     Next week, I will post the verses on Monday. I don't know what the message will be about yet. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

      Yesterday was a hectic day. Here are the verses for the week.

Psalm 119:81 -- "My soul longs for your salvation, I hope in Your word."

Galatians 5:5 -- "For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness."

John 14:2 -- "There are many rooms in my Father's house, and I am going to prepare a place for you. I would not tell you this if it were not so."

Weekend Sermon --"Biblical Teachings About Peace -- Part 4"

      Welcome to the Weekend Sermon. I hope that you are all doing very well and are in good health. I've made it through another week, and I thank the Lord for that. 

     Today, we will be concluding our series of messages on some of what the Bible has to say about peace. Next week, we will have a message based on the Christmas season. 

     As in all things, we want to look at what the Lord Jesus had to say about any subject or issue that we want to study. We've been doing that in this current series. As we conclude, I want us to focus on what Jesus had to say about what I will refer to as spiritual or inner peace. Jesus provides peace to those who are in need of rest for the soul, and He provides peace for those who are in Him as they work to make it through the difficulties that this life can bring. 

     In John 14:27 Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." Jesus further tells us in John 16:33, "I have told you these things so that in Me you might have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But, take heart! I have overcome the world."

     Those who have never come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord are not at peace with God. The Bible says that we are enemies of God when we are still in our sins. All have sinned and all come short of God's righteous standard. Our hearts are restless and burdened in search of what can bring peace and freedom from the guilt and shame that living in sin brings. Jesus is the answer. 

     When a person calls upon the name of the Lord and asks Jesus to forgive their sins and be the Lord of their life, Jesus frees that person from sin and indwells them with His presence. The old way is gone, and a person becomes a new creation in Christ Jesus. A person is no longer under God's wrath because they are clothed in the righteousness of the dearly beloved Son of God. 

     We have peace and no longer need to fear death when Jesus is our Lord and Savior. Through His death and resurrection, He has freed us from sin and and sin's consequences. We can live with the assurance of pardon knowing that Jesus has freed us and lives within us. 

     Now, there is another way that Jesus provides peace. He is with us in and through everything that we go through in this life. He has promised that He will never leave us and He will never forsake us. No matter where we find ourselves in life, we can meditate, pray and rest on the words of Jesus. He is our comfort and He is our strength. 

     In all things, we can find peace knowing that no matter what happens, Jesus has prepared a place for us in Heaven. We will be with Him forever, and nothing can ever harm us when we are with Him for eternity in Heaven. 

     If you do not have peace with God through Jesus, I urge you to turn your life over to the Lord Jesus today. If you are going through a hard time, rest in Jesus. Feel His presence with you. Know that no matter what, you will be with Him, and He will be with you forever. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     Please pray about the situation in the Middle East. It is a mess right now. There is a lot of instability, and many are facing great hardship.

     Continue to pray for peace in Sudan and Ukraine. Haiti needs our prayers as well. 

     Pray for those who have had to deal with storm damage. The UK had a bad storm, and people in Spain and the US are still dealing with storm damage. Pray that all will get the aid and the help that they need. 

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

     Next week, we will have a Christmas sermon. I will post the verses on Monday. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

      I am sorry about the verses begin posted so late. 

John 3:36 -- "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."

John 10:28 -- "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand."

Weekend Sermon -- "Biblical Teachings About Peace -- Part 3"

      Thank you for once again reading the sermon for the week. I've been having a lot of health issues the past week, so please continue to pray for me. I really appreciate it. I hope that all of you are in good health and doing well.  I thank the Lord for the opportunity to post this message. 

     Last week, I decided to post a message with a thanksgiving theme as it was that holiday here where I live. Before that, we'd been studying what the Bible has to teach us about the subject of peace. I want to continue with that today. 

     One of the things that Jesus talked about a lot was how to have peace. He spoke about having peace with God and having peace in our hearts. He also spoke about what was necessary to have good and peaceful relationships with those who are around us. That is what I want us to focus on today. 

     Jesus is the one we have to focus on when we look into anything within our lives and how we are to live. Jesus gave us several teachings on peace. The first component of this teaching is the Great Commandment and the second like unto it. Jesus told us that we are to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. He then told us that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. All of the commandments, Jesus said, are contained within these two. 

     Having true peace in this world and in our relationships starts with loving God with all that we have within us. When we love the Lord with all that we have, we will obey His teachings and His commandments. This will then allow us to live in the world as He intended. If we are not willing to obey the teachings of the Lord Jesus, they is no way that we will be able to have peace within this world. 

     We must follow Jesus' teaching to love our neighbor if we are going to have peace. If we are striving with others we cannot have peace. Jesus gave us the Golden Rule in order to show us how we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. We are told to do unto others as we would have done to us. This means that we are actively to treat others in the same way that we would want to be treated. 

     When we keep the Golden Rule in mind and put its principles into practice, we will have peace in our interpersonal relationships. I also believe that if we would practice this on an international level, it would lead to a lot more peacefulness. If we would all put ourselves in someone's shoes, we would treat others better which can only lead to more peaceful relationships along with the justice and goodness that is needed for true peacefulness to be a possibility. 

      In order to have peaceful relationships, we have to follow the teaching of Jesus to not just love our friends, He also calls on us to love our enemies and those who persecute us. When we help those who aren't really good to us, and when we don't respond to hate with hate, we have the chance through the love of Jesus working through us to bring about change in another person's life. It isn't always easy to practice this. However, when we keep retaliating against those who are opposed to us, a negative chain of events just spirals out of control. 

     Having peace in our relationships requires doing something. Jesus said it required that we show love to all. Paul said that we overcome evil with good. When we do good for all and show and spread the love of Jesus to all, it will lead to better relationships. As far as nations are concerned, when we help others to have a better life, it will lead to better relationships as well. 

     By following Jesus and His way of love and goodness, we will have more peace in this world. Let us follow the way of the Lord in all that we do. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I want to thank the Lord that Israel and Lebanon are working towards more peacefulness. Let us pray that peace can come all over the Middle East. Pray for release of the hostages. 

     Keep praying for peace in Syria and Yemen.

     Sudan is a mess. Pray for peace.

     Pray for peace in Ukraine.

     Remember to pray for those in Cuba who are having such a terrible time with the power going off all the time. Pray that they can figure out how to keep the power on. 

     Let us pray for those affected by storms and natural disasters. Pray that they will get the aid and the help that they need. 

     For our prayer focus this week, let us all pray that many will hear about the love of Jesus in Jordan and Guinea-Bissau. 

     Next week, we will continue with our current sermon series. I will post the verses on Monday. I am working on a special post, and will have that up in the next few days. May God bless you all. 

     

Verses For The Week

 Ephesians 1:7 -- "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace."

Isaiah 44:22 -- "I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to Me for I have redeemed you."

Weekend Sermon -- "Thankful For Grace"

      I hope that everyone is doing well this week. I want to wish a Happy Thanksgiving Day to everyone who reads the blog in the US. This is probably my favorite holiday. I always had a good time with my friend Toby on Thanksgiving. 

      Today, we are going to take a break from our current sermon series on peace. I want to focus on the theme of thanksgiving since it is that time of year in my part of the world. 

     On this holiday, it is good time for me to reflect on the things that I am thankful for. I am certainly thankful for the fact that the Lord allowed me to have wonderful parents and a great friend like Toby. I am thankful for music, especially jazz, and I am thankful that the Lord has allowed me to work as a writer for all of these years. I am thankful for the fact that the Lord has provided me with food, clothing, shelter and transportation. I have a job to go to, and I am thankful for that. 

     As I've been going through the course of this year and reflecting on spiritual things, one of the things that I've become very grateful for is God's grace. One of the verses that tells us about grace that I particularly find meaningful is John 1:16 that states, "From His fulness we have all received grace upon grace." 

     The longer I live, the more I realize that everything that I have comes from the grace of God. He has given me His grace upon grace. Grace is unmerited favor. I know that I certainly haven't done anything to deserve the blessings that God has given me. It is all of Him and none of me. 

     God has given us His grace through His Son the Lord Jesus. There is nothing that anyone can do to earn salvation and the forgiveness of sins. We are able to be forgiven and have a relationship with the Father through the substitutionary atonement of Jesus. He bore our sins in His body on the cross and took the punishment that we deserved for sin. Because of what Jesus has done for us, by His grace we are saved. 

     I am not a perfect person. I do things that I know aren't pleasing to the Lord. However, when I ask for forgiveness, I am forgiven by the grace of God. He gives me another chance to do better and serve Him better. 

    This holiday, I am so thankful for grace. Without the grace of the Lord I would be nothing and I could do nothing. I often wonder why the Lord has been so gracious to me. I know that it is because of His great love for us. 

     It might not be a holiday of thanksgiving where you live at this time of year. However, I encourage you this week to think of all that you have to give thanks for. I encourage you to be thankful for God's grace working in your life. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I am having a lot of arthritis problems lately. Please pray that I can be more pain free. Thank you. 

     Keep praying for peace. Pray for peace in Israel, Gaza and the Middle East. Pray for peace in Ukraine, Sudan, Haiti and other strife filled places in this world. 

     Remember to pray for those recovering from storm damage. The UK had some bad flooding this week. Let us pray that those who need help will get the assistance that they need. 

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

     Next week, we will resume our sermon series about peace. I will post the verses on Monday. May God bless you all. 

Remembering Thanksgiving With My Friend

      I don't know why, but this is one of the hardest holiday times I've had since my parents passed away and my friend Toby passed away. I miss them all. I really miss my friend Toby at Thanksgiving time because that was our favorite time of the year. 

     My Mom was a really good cook. She always made a great Thanksgiving feast for us all. Usually it was just her, my Dad, me and Toby. However, my Grandma was at the house a few times during Thanksgiving. We always had turkey, stuffing, potatoes, green beans, rolls, sweet potatoes, cranberries and other good things. 

     I always made sure that Toby would get something for his Thanksgiving dinner. He had problems with his colon, so I had to be careful with what he ate. He liked turkey, and he really liked green beans. I've never seen a dog who liked green beans like he did. The two of us ate a lot during Thanksgiving.

     After the meal, we always watched the football games out in the family room. I've always been a big Detroit Lions fan, and they are always on on Thanksgiving Day. Back then, they weren't as good as they are now. 

     Later in the evening, I'd go out with Toby and we'd walk around and look at the stars. It was a nice time to be with my family. I always here on the blog refer to Toby as my friend, but he was more than just my friend. He was part of the family. When the four of us were together was the best time that I've had in my entire life. 

     As I am writing this I've got to thinking about Toby's likes and dislikes in food. Some people say that dogs will anything, but that wasn't the case with him. He didn't like beef or pork. He absolutely refused to eat liver flavored dog food. He could take or leave lamb. He did like turkey as a I mentioned. His favorite above all was chicken. He could never get enough of it. Some other foods he liked were toast, French fries, pancakes and waffles. What he didn't like is that he couldn't eat too much of any of these so that his colon didn't get messed up. 

     One of the things I liked about Toby was that he didn't beg for food. Whenever we were on a trip and I was eating in my car, he never tried to get my food, and he didn't stare at me wanting me to give him something all the time. He was patient and waited for his food. He wasn't like any other dog I ever had. 

     I know that all my family is in Heaven. I am thankful for the time we had together. I hope that all of you have a good time with your family and friends during the upcoming holiday season. 

Verses For The Week

 Psalm 50:14 -- "Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High."

Psalm 118:24 -- "This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Weekend Sermon -- "Biblical Teachings About Peace -- Part 2"

      Thank you again for taking a few moments to read this week's message. I hope that you are all doing well. I am feeling fairly well. 

     Last week, we started a new series of messages dealing with some of the Biblical teachings on peace. We saw that that Bible tells us that we are to seek peace and pursue it.  In today's message, I want us to learn about being a peacemaker and seeking peace by following the teachings we find about peace and non-violence in the message given to us by the Lord Jesus. 

     Jesus was the promised Prince of Peace. We can say without question that He is and was the man of peace. His teachings would bring peace if they were followed in this world, and when people accept Him into their lives as Savior and Lord they will find a peace that passes all understanding. 

     Jesus spoke about His way of peace and confronting injustice in His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus wanted us to live in peace and seek justice, but He has called His followers to do so in a non-violent way. 

     One of Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount that surprises people is that He ended the Old Testament practice of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. We find Jesus' statement in Matthew 5:38-39 that states, "You have heard that it was said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But, I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also."

     Jesus knew that if we keep retaliating against each other in a violent manner, war will continue and continue until the entire world is destroyed. Jesus told us to turn the other check and to go the extra mile. He told us that we are to love our enemies and to do good to those who spitefully use us. 

     Does this mean that to be a person that seeks the way of peace we are to do nothing in the face of oppression and injustice? Absolutely not! We are to resist and overcome what is evil, but the Lord calls us to do so in a non-violent way.  As Jesus told His followers, we are to put away the sword. Jesus said that those who live by the sword will die by the sword.

     We are to positively promote peace and justice in the world by acting in love to overcome evil. We are to resist non-violently. We are to do good to all and help everyone that we can in the name of Jesus. We are to overcome evil by living out the Golden Rule as well as the Great Commandment. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves.

     Many of the great social and political changes in our world have come about when people acted through non-violent civil disobedience. In my country, the Civil Rights Movement led by Dr. King used non-violence to advocate for rights that had been unjustly denied. By people working together non-violently, great changes were made. 

     In India, Gandhi promoted the way of non-violence through His readings of Jesus. He resisted unjust treatment and advanced the cause of independence, but He didn't advocate that it be done violently. He non-violently resisted the unjust policies of colonialism.

     Christians are called to be peacemakers and to make a positive difference in this world. We do so by loving others and by helping this world to be a better place. We follow the Lord Jesus fully, and we turn away from revenge and retribution. 

     As I've mentioned before, two things would go a long way towards bringing peace to this world. First of all, if more people turned to Jesus, I believe that we would have more peacefulness  in the world. Second,  if those who claimed to know Jesus would really follow what He taught, we would have less violence and peace. It greatly disturbs me when I hear and see people who name the name of Jesus out fighting and killing one another. Jesus taught a different way. 

     Let us all work to follow the way of love and peace. Let us tell others about Jesus and His way. Let us always follow the way of Jesus and not the way of the world. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     I want to thank the Lord that I didn't have any damage at my house from the bad winds the other night. I am feeling some better. 

     Please keep praying for those who are recovering from storms and flooding. I am especially thinking of those in Spain. 

     Remember to keep praying for an end to disease outbreaks in the world. I heard on the news a couple of days ago that mpox is still bad in Africa.

     Keep praying for peace. Pray for peace in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Sudan and Haiti. Pray for the release of the hostages and pray that humanitarian aide will reach those who need it in all war ravaged areas. 

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

    Next week, we will take a short break from our series, and I will post a message on the theme of giving thanks as it is the Thanksgiving holiday season here in the US. I will post the verses on Monday. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

      I am sorry for being late posting the verses. We had really nasty storms in my area yesterday. I am thankful that there weren't too many problems. Here are the verses for the week. 

II Timothy 1:7 -- "For God gave us not a spirit of fear but of power, and love and self-control."

Psalm 46:1 -- " God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

Weekend Sermon -- "Biblical Teachings About Peace" -- Part 1

      Thank you for reading the message this week. I hope that everyone is doing well, and I want to thank the Lord for giving me the ministry of posting messages here on the blog. 

     Last week, we finished our series of messages in which we examined some some of the characteristics that will be in evidence in the life of a person who is trying to live with love directing their lives. Love is what Jesus was, and is,  all about. When we follow Jesus, we will live a life of love.

     We are changing directions and beginning a new series of messages this week. For the next few weeks, I want us to look at what the Bible has to say about peace. We need peace in this world. We need peace between nations and between individuals. We need to have peace in our own hearts and minds. 

     Let's start by seeing what the Bible means by peace. The word most often used for peace in the Bible is Shalom. This means tranquility and safety. Some scholars have stated that it refers to a sense of wholeness within a person's life. In the Bible, peace refers to absence of physical conflict. Peace is not true peace unless it is the Shalom kind of peace that means wholeness which includes justice. Peace also has a deeply spiritual sense in the Bible especially in the teachings of Jesus. He is the one who through His life, ministry and continuing presence is the source of all true peace. 

     Today, I want us to look into the fact the the Bible tells us that we are to be peacemakers. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told us, "Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called the children of God."  In I Peter 3:11 we read, "Turn away from evil and do good, search for peace and work to maintain it."

     As followers of Jesus, it is our duty to work for peace in this world. We should as followers of the Prince of Peace never be the ones who are clamoring for war. We should be the one's seeking peace with justice in the conflicts of this world. 

     Being a peacemaker begins at the interpersonal level. We should try always to avoid being quarrelsome and causing strife within our relationships. We shouldn't stir up trouble. Instead, we should be the ones who seek to defuse tense situations and bring a sense of calmness in antagonistic situations. 

     As followers of Jesus, we can be practical peacemakers when we find ways to help our friends, colleagues and family members find ways to reconcile with one another and find common ground. 

     One way that we can be peacemakers in our relationships is to be the kind of person that is willing to forgive and not hold a grudge. Another way to maintain peace in relationships is to be kind and follow the Golden Rule set down by Jesus. Speaking words that heal and help and not speaking words that hurt and tear down is another practical way to be a peacemaker on the interpersonal level. 

     There is, of course, another aspect of pursuing peace. As Christians, we need to be involved in promoting justice and goodness in the world. As our Scripture from Peter talks about, we have to turn from evil and do good. We shine a light into the darkness. 

    War, fighting and conflicts often occur when there is injustice in a situation. By working to end injustices, we are promoting peace, we are seeking peace and helping to maintain it. 

     Poverty, hunger, lack of medical care, unfair wages, oppression of the poor by the rich and the weak by the strong, racism, ethnic discrimination: these are some of the injustices that build up resentments and lead to conflicts. When we work to end these injustices, we will see peace. 

    As believers, we need to find ways to address the injustice situations in our world. Inequality leads to a lack of harmony. We can as believers work together to build a better world as we follow the teachings and commandments of the Lord Jesus. 

     We need to speak up for what is right, and we need to do what is right.

     Finally, let me say a word about praying for peace. This is so important. Each week here on the blog, I mention nations in conflict that need our prayers for peace. We must always pray for peace, and we must be the peacemakers as the Lord Jesus gives us the opportunity. 

     Ultimate peace on every level comes through Jesus. Following the teachings of Jesus brings peace. Knowing Jesus as Savior and Lord brings peace. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     I want to thank the Lord that our new manager at work so far seems like a really nice person. Things are better at my job, so I am going to try and stay there for the time being. I am also thankful to the Lord for helping me get the debt on my house paid. Thank you for your prayers.

     Keep praying for those affected by the storms. The US is still recovering from the hurricanes, and Spain is still dealing with flooding. 

     Pray for peace in the world. Ukraine, the Middle East, Sudan and Haiti really need our prayers. Pray that the hostages in Gaza will be released.

     I haven't heard much about some of the disease outbreaks that were occurring. Let us pray that no more will occur. 

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

     Next week, we will continue with our current series. I will have a message about Thanksgiving the following week. For Advent, I will probably have a couple of Christmas messages. I will post the verses on Monday. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

 Romans 12:21 -- "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

John 1:5 -- "Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

Weekend Sermon -- Characteristics of Love -- Conclusion

      The election here in the US is finally over. It is a relief not to be bombarded with political ads. I thank you for taking time to read the message, and I hope that you are all doing well this week. 

     Over the course of the last couple of months, we've been in engaged in a study of some of the characteristics of a life lived in love. Today, I am going to conclude this series by looking at the final verse of Paul's great chapter on love I Corinthians 13. The final verse of this chapter states, "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 

     Faith, hope and love are all critical aspects of the Christian life. The Bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God. We have to have faith in order to believe in God. We are saved by grace through faith. Having faith in the promises of God leads us to serve Him to our fullest measure. 

     We have to have hope in what is promised to us by the Lord Jesus. Our hope is in Him. The Lord Jesus has promised that those who love Him will be with Him forever in the place that He has prepared for those who accept Him as Savior and Lord. Our hope is in the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. We wait in hope for that great day when Jesus returns and makes all things new. He will make a new Heaven and a new Earth. All will be restored to the way things were before sin entered into the world. 

     Faith and hope are necessary. They are essential parts of our faith. However, as important as they are, Paul tells us that the greatest of all is love. Without love we have nothing at all. We would not have the opportunity to exercise our faith or live our lives in hope had it not been for the love of the Lord Jesus that led Him to come to this earth and redeem us from our sins. Love is what the Christian religion is supposed to be all about. 

     As we've seen in this series of messages, it is all about love. The great commandment is to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. The second great commandment is to love our neighbor a we love ourselves. Love is what allows us to follow the Golden Rule and forgive those who have trespassed against us. 

     As we close out this series on the love and what it looks like lived out in the actions of a believer, I want to mention something. Being a Christian and following Jesus as Lord involves all of one's life. Ever aspect of our lives must be filled with the love of Jesus given out to others. We have to look to Jesus and love like Jesus loved. Whenever we speak ill of those who are vulnerable or oppressed, we are not living in love. When we make people feel as if they are worthless or hurt others with our words, we are not living in love. When we don't help those who are in need when it is in our power to do so, we are not living in love. When we see a planet that is in crises and don't act to preserve it for future generations, we aren't living in love. 

     Being a Christian means loving God and loving our neighbor. Jesus is our example. Let us love others as He did while He was among us. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     We did not have bad flooding from the storms in my area, and I want to thank the Lord for that. I also want to thank the Lord for His provision in getting something paid off that I needed to get paid. 

     The election was this week in the US. Without getting too political I just want to ask you to pray for the US. 

     Please keep praying for those affected by the bad storms. Spain needs our prayers as that nation recovers from the floods. Pray for those recovering form the hurricanes in the US. 

     Remember to pray for peace. Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Sudan and Haiti all need our prayers. 

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

     Next week, we will start a new short series. I will post the verses on Monday. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

 Micah 6:8 -- "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

Romans 13:10 -- "Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

Weekend Sermon -- Characteristics of Love -- Part 10

     Thank you for taking the time to read the sermon. I am trying to have a good day. I hope that you are all well. 

     For several weeks now, we've been looking at what the Scriptures have to say about love and what a life lived in love looks like. For awhile now, we've been looking in particular at I Corinthians 13 which is an important chapter on love. 

     Today, I want us to focus on Paul's statement in verse 8 that states, "Love never fails." What does this mean?

     There are several ways that I believe that we can look at this. First of all, love never fails to me means that true love never dies. If you love someone, your love for them goes on and on even when they are not present with you in this life. My parents and my best friend Toby aren't with me on this earth anymore, but the love that I had for them while they were here with me is still in my heart. It will never go away. In fact, I know that they are in Heaven with Jesus right now, and one day, we will all be reunited, and our love for each other will continue throughout eternity. 

     Love never fails also means to me that you can't go wrong in loving and putting love into action in this world. If we love our neighbor as Jesus told us, it can't fail to make a positive impact in this world. If you show love to others it can't but help at least in some way to improve their life. Also, if you share the love of Jesus with others, it may lead them into accepting the Lord Jesus into their lives. 

     Love never fails I believe has the highest meaning when it comes to the love that Jesus has for us. Jesus has loved us with an everlasting love. His love took Him to Calvary to die in order to redeem us from our sins. His love for us has caused Him to prepare a place for us with Him in Heaven so that we can always be with Him. 

     One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Hebrews 13:8 that says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today and forever." Jesus loved people when He was on this earth. He loves people now, and His love will not end for all of eternity. Jesus will always love you. He will always want to be with you. He desires that we love Him and give all of our lives to Him. 

     Paul tells us that the spiritual gifts will cease. Many of the things of this earth will pass away. However, there is something that will never cease and will never fail. That is love. Love never fails. Love God. Love your neighbor. Love is what Jesus is about. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please pray that the predicted rain for my area will not transpire. I just can't deal with a whole lot more right now with my health problems. I don't mean to complain, but things aren't that easy right now. I could really use your prayers. Thank you. 

     Pray that God's will will be done in the US elections. Pray that there will not be any violence and that all will accept the results. 

     Keep praying for those recovering from the hurricanes. 

     Remember to pray for peace. Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Ukraine, Sudan and many other nations need our prayers on their behalf. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let's pray for those in the nations of Israel and Nepal. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     Next week, we will conclude our characteristics of love series. I will post the verses on Monday. May God bless you all. 

Prayer Request

     There are supposed to be some really bad storms in my area this evening. Please pray that they will not be bad. Also, there is a prediction for flooding rains next week. Please pray. I thank you for your prayers. Let us also keep praying for those affected by the hurricanes. 

Verses For The Week

 Psalm 32:8 -- "I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go, I will counsel you with My loving eye on you."

John 8:32 -- "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

The Weekend Sermon -- Characteristics of Love -- Part 9

      It's time again for the Weekend Sermon. Thank you for taking the time to read this week's message. I hope and pray that you are all well. 

     Today, we are going to continue with our study of some of the characteristics of a life that is filled with and directed by love. If you've been following the series, you know that for the past few weeks we've been examining the great chapter that explains a lot about love I Corinthians 13. 

     In our message this week, we will focus our attention on verse 7. As I was studying for this message, I found several different translations for this verse. I like how the Living Bible paraphrases the verse. We read, "If you love someone you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him." 

     First of all, love expresses itself in loyalty. This is true in the natural and in the spiritual realm. If you love someone who is related to you, your spouse or a good friend, love expresses itself in loyalty. You stand up for your people when they are going through a hard time or when someone is giving them a hard time. You take their side. You are faithful to them and stick by them through thick and through thin. You aren't a fair-weather friend who runs off when everything is not sunshine and roses. As it says in the marriage vows, it is for better and for worse. 

     Loyalty as an expression of love in the spiritual means that we are 100 percent totally and fully committed to the Lord Jesus. We do what He tells us to do. We follow His teachings and commandments. We don't put anyone nor anything above our relationship with Him. He is number one in our lives. He is Lord of all that we are or ever will be. 

     Love also manifests itself in believing in another person. If you love someone you believe that they will succeed. You encourage the other person and always keep positive thoughts in your mind about the other person. If someone says something negative or bad about someone that you love, if you truly love that person, your first instinct is to not believe the negative thing that you've been told. You believe the best about them, and hold that person in a position of esteem within your heart. You don't let others drag them down in your presence. 

     Love stands its ground in defending another person. I would always stand up for those I loved while they were with me. I loved my parents and my friend Toby so much. If someone said something bad about them, I always stood up for them. 

     In the spiritual, our love for Jesus should cause us to stand up for Him. We should live our lives in such a way that we are not ashamed of the the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If people try to cast doubt on Jesus Christ, we stand for Him and defend the cause of Christ by giving reasoned arguments for who Jesus is and for what He did while He was on this earth. We do it because we love Him, and we don't want others to mock nor ridicule Him. 

     There is another way that this verse is often translated. The NKJV says, that love, "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." The first part of this is similar to what we've discussed, but I want us to focus a moment on love endures all things. 

     If you are filled with love for another person, you are willing to go through a lot of hard times and hard things for that person. I know people who have had a spouse or partner that they've taken care of for many years at great cost physically and financially. There were a lot of hard times, but they did it because they loved the other. 

     As always, we see that love is about putting aside the self and seeking the best for the other. It is about loving God and our neighbor. It is about putting Jesus first, others second and ourselves last. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I have been feeling a little worse this week than I have been. Please keep praying that I will get back to feeling better. I've been feeling off since I had pneumonia way back in May. 

     Pray for those recovering from the hurricanes here in the US. 

     Keep praying for the end of the m pox and Marburg virus outbreaks. 

     Let us pray for peace in Israel and the surrounding areas. Pray for the release of the hostages. Let us pray that war throughout the region can be avoided. Remember to keep praying for peace in Ukraine and Sudan. 

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

     Next week, we will continue with our series. I have one or two more messages on this series before we move on to something else. On Monday, I will post the verses. May God bless you all. 

What God Expects From Leaders

      As you probably know, I am based in the United States. We are getting ready to vote in a couple of weeks. It seems like this campaign has gone on for an eternity. I like the way they do things in the UK. The election was called, they campaigned for a few weeks, they voted. The election was decided the same night, and the next day there was a new prime minister. 

     I am posting today, with a mainly US audience in mind. However, what I am going to write has to do with leaders of nations everywhere. I want to discuss what the Bible says that God expects out of those who would be leaders of nations. I hope that people will keep this in mind as they go to the polls. I am not going to say anything about any of the candidates. I just want to relate what God's Word says. 

     One of the best passages that we can read about what God expects out of a leader in found in Jeremiah 22. In this chapter, God relates what He expected out of those who would sit on the throne of David. In verse 3, God says that the ruler must be one who does what is just and right. They must be a leader who follows the Law. 

     The leader is to rescue those who have been robbed from the hand of oppressor. The leader is expected to make sure that people are not cheated nor ripped off by those who would try to take advantage of them. Also in verse 3, God says the leader is to, "do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. These were groups that were often oppressed in Jeremiah's day. God expects the ruler to help those who are the most vulnerable members of society. Finally in verse 3, God says that the ruler should not shed innocent blood. 

     In verse 16 of this same chapter, the Lord says that a former king did what was right. He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and all went well for him. God cares about the poor. He expects the leader of the nation to take care of the poor and those who are in need and hurting. 

     Another interesting passage for us to look at is Psalm 72. This is a Psalm written by Solomon. In this Psalm, he mentions the things that a good leader should do. In verse 2, we read that the leader should judge in the right way. The leader should be just. In verse 4 we read that the leader should defend the poor and rescue the children of the needy. Furthermore, the good leader is to crush the oppressors of the poor and needy. In verse 12, Solomon tells us that the king will rescue the poor and needy and defend them from oppression. 

     God expects all rulers everywhere to do what is good and stand against oppression and do what is just. We see this in Daniel 4:27 where Daniel states, "Therefor your majesty be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be then that your prosperity will continue."

     These are just a handful of verses about what the Bible has to say about good leaders. However, I believe that you will see the point. 

     When you go to vote in the coming days, keep in mind what God's Word has to say. Pray for the guidance of the Lord in the decisions that you make.

Verses For The Week

 Matthew 28:20 -- "And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."

II Peter 3:13 -- "But in keeping with His promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells."

Weekend Sermon -- Characteristics of Love -- Part 8

      Thanks for once again taking the time to read the sermon. I hope that everyone is doing well. If you have been affected by the storms, I hope that you are getting the help that you need. I thank the Lord for giving me the opportunity to post the message this week. 

     Today, we will be looking at some more of what the Bible has to say about the characteristics of life that is lived with love at the center. We've been focusing our attention on the characteristics of love as found in I Corinthians chapter 13. In today's message I want us to look at 13:6. I like how the New Living Translation puts it, "It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out."

     A person who is filled with the love of Jesus and is letting love lead the way in life is going to be a person who is opposed to the injustice that is in the world. This is due to the fact that a loving person cares about what is happening to other people, and he or she does not want to see others come to harm. A loving and caring person wants justice because that is what Jesus wants for others in this world. 

     There is a great deal of injustice in this world. It can't be right that a few people have a great deal of wealth while many people in this world live in abject poverty. It can't be just for the rich to oppress the poor and deny them a fair a living wage. It isn't just and right that people die from treatable diseases because companies that have life-saving drugs available demand payments for the treatments that many people and nations cannot afford. We as followers of Jesus know that it is unjust for there to be people going without food and in many cases starving to death when we live in a world of plenty. 

     The person who is filled with the love of Jesus is a person who does not approve of injustice, and that person also seeks to bring about what is just and right. If we are to be filled with love we have to advocate for justice and speak up and speak out for those who need help. We also need to help others as we are able. We need to give and lift up those who are downtrodden. 

     There are many types of injustices in the world besides the few that I have mentioned. The Christian who is imitating the loving life of Christ will see injustice and work to end it as enabled by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. 

     Now, let's look at the second part of the verse. Love rejoices when the truth wins out. To me, this means that a person who is filled with love will be the kind of person who wants good to prevail. They work for good in every way in which they are able, and then when a victory is obtained, they give thanks to God for allowing good to triumph over evil. 

    I also think that what this passage is telling us is that one of the characteristics of love is truthfulness over falsehood. Love tells the truth and want the truth to be manifest. It does not want lies and alternate facts and other types of deceptions to rule the day. The reason for this is that deception always harms people. True love seeks what is best for the other. 

     In His life and ministry, Jesus worked to help overcome injustice. He feed the poor and healed those who were afflicted. He spoke out against hypocrisy and the oppression of others by the religious authorities of the day. He treated women as equals and said suffer the little children to come to me for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus welcomed people in love even those who society despised. He calls us to do good to the least among us. He calls us to love our neighbor and to do unto others as we would have done to us. 

     I close with these words from Micah 6:8, " Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God." Amen

Prayer Requests

     I am still not feeling that well. Please keep praying for me. I am some better, so I thank the Lord for that. 

     Keep praying for those affected by the storms here in the US. Some are still without power and clean drinking water. Pray that people will get the help that they need. 

     Pray that the m pox and Marburg virus outbreaks in Africa will end. Pray that vaccines will get to those who need them in a timely manner. 

     Please remember to pray for peace. The Middle East really needs our prayers. Pray that the hostages will be released. Pray for peace in Ukraine and Sudan. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Singapore and Syria. 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. May God bless you all. Amen. 

Verses For The Week

 II Timothy 2:15 -- "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."

Galatians 6:9 -- "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Weekend Sermon -- Characteristics of Love -- Part 7

      Thank you once again for taking the time to read the message for the week. I am grateful to the Lord for allowing me to have this ministry. 

     We are in the midst of a series of messages where we are examining what a life lived in love looks like. We are asking the question, how does a person filled with God's love act out in the world?

     Over the course of the last couple of weeks, we've looked at the great chapter on love I Corinthians 13. Today, I want us to focus in on another two characteristics that will be reflected in the life of a person who is living a life of love.  In I Corinthians 13:5 Paul states that love is not easily angered and it does not keep a record of wrongs. 

     Jesus had something to teach us about anger in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said that if someone was angry with their brother, they were in danger of judgment. In another place in the Bible we are told not to let the Sun go down on our wrath/anger.

     A person who is filled with love for others will live in such a way that he or she is not easily offended or worked up so to speak. I have to admit that this isn't always an easy thing for me. Especially when I was younger, I had sort of a bad temper. If you made me mad, you would definitely know about it. Thankfully, over the years, I've done better in this regard. 

     I believe that if we love others we will not want our own way all the time. We will be less selfish. When we are not acting in a selfish way, it is much easier to not get angry with others. At least I've found this to be true in my own life. 

     Anger is something that everyone needs to get control of. It leads us to other sins. I know that when I let anger get the best of me, it leads me to say nasty things that hurt other people's feelings. This is definitely not acting a Christ-like manner. 

     As I grow closer to the Lord each day, I am becoming less easily upset. I am trying to do better with this everyday. 

    Now, what does it mean that love does not keep a record of wrongs done? This means that we forgive and forget. We don't hold things against someone for years and years. True love forgives and tries to put things in the past. When we aren't living in a loving way, we remember the bad things people did to us, and then we bring them up at certain times to either hurt someone or make them feel bad. 

     The greatest example of love not keeping a record of wrongs that I had in my life was from my friend Toby. I remember that one time I got really upset with him for something that I later found out he didn't have any control of. I told him I was very sorry and that I would never get mad at him again for any reason. Almost immediately, he forgot all about, and we went back to being the best of friends as always. 

     When we are living in the love of Jesus, we forgive the wrongs done, and then we put them in the past. That is the way that the Lord treats us. He removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west, and He remembers them against us no more. 

     Living a life of love is not easy. We have to work each day as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to become more and more like Jesus. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please remember in prayer those affected by the hurricanes here in the US. Pray that people will get the assistance and help that they need. 

     Remember to keep praying for peace. Ukraine, Israel, the Middle East and Sudan all need our prayers right now. 

     Pray for an end to the disease outbreaks. M pox is still going, and I heard a report that Marburg virus is ongoing in parts of Africa. 

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

     Please pray for me. I am feeling some better, but I am still not that well. Thank you. 

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

Verses For The Week

      Before I post the verses, I would like us all to pray for those who are still being held hostage in Gaza. It was one year ago when all of this started. Please pray that the hostages will be released. Pray that peace can come to Israel, Gaza, Lebanon and the Middle East.

Psalm 119:76 -- "Let Your steadfast love comfort me according to Your promise to Your servant."

Psalm 121:1-2 -- "I lift up my eyes to the hills, From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth."

Weekend Sermon -- Characteristics of Love -- Part 6

      I thank the Lord for another opportunity to post the message, and I thank you for taking the time to read the message this week. I hope you are all having a good week. 

     Once again, we are studying the characteristics of a life that is filled with love for the Lord and others. We are examining what a life lived out looks like when it is lived in love. 

     For today's message, I want to us to continue to look at some of the characteristics of love as related to us by the Apostle Paul in his great chapter on love I Corinthians 13. In verse 5, it states in the NIV version that, "it does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking." Some other versions translate this part a little bit differently. Many versions state that love is not rude. Let's look into all three of these. 

     First off, let's take the NIV translation of love does not dishonor others. A person that is living a life of love does not go about seeking to make other people look bad. In fact, I would say that a truly loving person would try to do whatever he or she could do in order to make a person appear in the best light possible. What I mean by this is that we should not in any way go about trying to tear people down. Instead, a loving person should try to build people up. 

     Let me try to give an example of this. When I was young, I went to a school operated by the church my parents attended. The atmosphere was very oppressive. One was always being told how terrible they were. On the other hand, when I went to a religious college a few years later, the opposite attitude was on display. There, the professors were always trying to build you up and make you feel that you could be successful. I think that a person with a loving heart wants to help and encourage people and not try to take away their dignity. 

     I think that love does not dishonor others has another application. Often, when people fall into a particular sin, churches and religious people can often make them feel more terrible about themselves than they already feel. Wouldn't it be better if in love we tried to encourage people to be their best and always remind them that Jesus loves them?

     Now, as I mentioned, some Bible translations translate this a little different. Instead of the NIVs does not dishonor others, they say love is not rude. Being rude in my mind is different than dishonoring someone. So, let us look into this. Being rude means acting with bad manners. A person acting in love would be a person wanting to act in such a way that they were mannerly and pleasant. A loving person is someone that other people want to be around. A rude person doesn't care about anyone else's feelings. That is the opposite of love. Love cares about others and their feelings. 

     Our text for today also tells us that love is not self-seeking. How true this is. Love seeks the best for other people. Love is sacrificial. 

     When I was young, a minister once told me that the best way to live the Christian life is to put Jesus first in all things. Then we are to think of others and helping them with their needs. After this, comes us. A loving person doesn't have to meet their needs at the expense of someone else.

     Just to sum things up. A person acting in love behaves in a way the encourages and helps others. They are not acting in the world just to get what they want when they want it. Living in love manifests itself in encouraging others and reminding them that Jesus cares about them. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I am feeling some better. I am still looking for a better job. Please keep me in your prayers. 

     Please pray for those affected by the terrible storms here in the US. Pray that they get the help needed. Also, there was flooding in parts of Mexico. They need our prayers as well. 

     The situation in the Middle East is very tense right now. Pray for peace. Make this a very important part of your prayers this week. Continue to pray for peace in Ukraine and Sudan. 

     Pray for an end to the m pox outbreak. 

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

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

Verses For The Week

 Romans 5:8 -- "But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

I John 4:8 -- "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."

Weekend Sermon -- Characteristics of Love -- Part 5

      It is once again time for the Weekend Sermon. Thanks again for taking time to read the message. I hope and pray that all of you are well.

     Today, we will continue with our series in which we are analyzing the characteristics of a life lived in love. Since love is at the heart of the Christian faith, we need to know what love in action in our lives will look like. As we learned earlier, Paul told us that we can do many things in our lives, but if we don't have love, it is all for nothing. 

     Last week, we started examining some of the characteristics of love as found in the great chapter on love I Corinthians 13. We saw that love is patient and love is kind. Continuing with verse four, we are told that, "It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud." Let's look into these aspects of a life of love today. 

     First of all, love does not envy. A person acts in an envious manner when they are dissatisfied with what they have in relation to what someone else has. For instance, envy can occur when we see that our friends and acquaintances all have nicer cars than we do. We have a perfectly good car, but we want a nice car like theirs. On top of that, we feel a certain amount of resentment, because they have something we don't, and we feel that we are just as good as they are. 

     Those who are living a life of love do not live in such a way that they are resentful of others because they have nice things. Those who live in love are thankful and grateful for the things that they have received from the Lord. 

     I believe that there is another aspect to this as well. A person who is living in love and is growing in their love for the Lord realizes what is truly important. Envy has to do with wanting the things that are passing away. It is a worldly centered desire. Those who are following the loving example of Jesus know that He has told us not to be concerned with laying up treasures on earth. Instead, we are to lay up treasures in Heaven. We are to be concerned with eternal values and not so much with material things. 

     What does it mean that love does not boast? The way that I view this is that a loving person does not go around bragging about themselves and always telling people about how much they have. They don't lord it over people so to speak. They aren't out trying to make themselves feel good about themselves by making other people feel bad about themselves. 

     Spiritual speaking, a person living in the love of Jesus knows that there isn't really anything to boast about except to boast about the Lord. All that we have has come to us by the grace of the Lord Jesus. We are nothing and we have nothing apart from His goodness, mercy and kindness. 

    Now, what does it mean that love is not proud? I think that it means that people who truly live in the love of the Lord follow the humility of Jesus. Being humble like the Lord Jesus is the opposite of a prideful lifestyle. Jesus exemplified humility in that He said that He has come to serve and not to be served. He came to help others and to do good. He has called us to go into this world filled with His love and help others as well. We are to be compassionate as He was compassionate. We are to serve and work to make this world a better place until He comes back.

     Jesus is our ultimate example of love in action. Learn from Him. When we look to Jesus and follow Him, we will be people of love. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I went to the doctor this week, and I am on some new treatments. Please pray that these will work and that I will get to feeling better. I thank you for your prayers. Also, please pray that I can find a new job soon. I need to find something that, unlike my current job, does not require a lot of physicality. I am hoping to finding a writing job. 

     Here in the US right now, a lot of people have and are experience problems due to a powerful hurricane. Please pray that those who need help will get the help that they need. 

     We need to keep praying for peace. The situation in the Middle East is not good. We need to pray for peace in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon. We also need to remember the hostages. Pray for their release. Keep praying for peace in Ukraine and Sudan. 

     Pray for an end to the mpox outbreak.

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

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

Verses For The Week

 Psalm 103:2-3 -- "Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits -- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases."

Philippians 4:19 -- "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus."

Weekend Sermon -- Characteristics of Love -- Part 4

      I am thankful to the Lord that it is another day to post the Weekend Sermon. I hope that all of you are well. I am doing fairly well. 

     For the last few weeks, we've been studying some of the characteristics of a life of love as found in the Bible. This week, we are going to look at what is probably the most well-known teaching about what true love is all about in the Bible. I Corinthians 13 is a chapter that is all about the importance of a life of love and what love looks like in action in a person's life.  Over the next few weeks, I want us to look into what this chapter teaches about the characteristics of love. 

     In the first three verses of I Corinthians 13, the Apostle Paul states clearly that love if the most important thing in the life of the believer. A Christian can be blessed with many spiritual gifts, but if love is not present in the Christian's life, these things count for nothing. If a person has such great faith that they can move a mountain, as Jesus spoke about, that counts for nothing if love is not present in one's life. Even if we give to the poor or suffer for the sake of Jesus Christ, it doesn't count if we don't have love in our hearts for the Lord and for others. Remember, Jesus told us that we are to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, and we are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. 

     Starting with verse four, Paul gives us some of the characteristics of what love looks like worked out in the life of the follower of the Lord Jesus. First of all, Paul tells us that love is patient, and love is kind. What does it mean that love is patient?

     When I think of love being patient, I think of two things. First of all, love is patient means that when we love someone, we don't expect them to do everything right all the time. Sometimes people are working on problems in a relationship, and sometimes as they attempt to work through those problems, they take a step backwards so to speak. That doesn't mean that we stop loving that person. We are patient in a spirit of love when we know that those we love are doing the best that they can to be all that they can be. 

     In a strictly Christian context, I would say that love is patient could refer to a realization that a new Christian is not going to be all that they can and should be in Christ when they are first converted. When someone who has been living according to the ways of the world comes to faith in Jesus, that person has a lot to learn about what Jesus would have them to do. We show love in this context when we understand that a new Christian hasn't arrived yet. We are patient with them, and we help them to grow in the Lord and to be what we know Jesus would want them to be. 

      The Lord is patient with us because He loves us. He knows our struggles and our ups and downs. He loves us, and He doesn't give up on us just because we don't get things correct right away. 

     Now, in this same verse four, Paul says love is kind. I believe that this is so important. This is so lacking right now in the world. Those who claim to follow Jesus and claim that they are filled with His love need to demonstrate kindness towards fellow Christians and to others who live in this world. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who have been really hurt because those who should be living a life of love have acted in very unkind ways. 

     As those living a life of love, we need to speak words that heal and not words that hurt. We need to go about doing acts of kindness for others helping them when they need a helping hand. We need to show our love by treating others in the same way that we would want to be treated. Paul says in another passage that we should be kind to one another and tenderhearted. That is the way that Jesus the man of love acted towards others while He was here on this earth. 

     I believe that if loving Christians showed more kindness to those around them, there would be many more people who would want to know more about Jesus. Kindness would go a long way in seeing more people come into the Kingdom of our Lord. 

     Our Lord who loves us has shown each of us His kindness in many ways. He has given us all the awareness of His presence. He has given us all that is good in our lives. The Bible says that His kindness leads us to repentance and causes us to draw closer to Him. 

     This week, let us show our love through patience and kindness. Amen

Prayer Requests

     This week, the forecast is for a lot of rain in my area. We need the rain, but please pray that we don't get too much and have problems. Also, this week I have a doctor's appointment. Pray that they have a solution to the nerve pain I am having. Thank you. 

     Pray for those suffering as a result of the bad storms around the world. Pray that all will get the aid that they need. 

     Continue to pray for peace in the world. Pray that there will not be a wider war in the Middle East. Pray for peace in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon. Pray for the release of the hostages. Also, remember to keep praying for peace in Ukraine and Sudan. 

     Remember to pray for an end to the mpox outbreak. 

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

     Next week, we will continue our current sermon series. I will post the verses on Monday. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

 Deuteronomy 31:8 -- "He will never leave you; He will not leave you nor forsake you."

Psalm 30:11 -- "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing ..."

Weekend Sermon -- Characteristics of Love -- Part 3

      Welcome once again to the Weekend Sermon. Thanks for taking the time to read the message for this week. I hope that everyone is having a good week. 

     After taking a one week break to explore a different topic, we are going to continue this week with our sermon series that explores some of the characteristics of love that are presented to us in the Scriptures. Today, I want us to look at the fact that, in the Bible, love is expressed through service and sacrifice. 

     As always, our ultimate example is the Lord Jesus. We are instructed in the Bible to keep our focus on Him and to follow Him in the ways that He leads us. Jesus is the one who truly showed us that love is service and sacrifice. 

     We have seen that in the Gospel of John, Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment that they were to love one another even as He had loved them. Jesus loved them, and us, to the utmost level. He loved the world so much that He sacrificed His life on the cross in order to redeem us from sin and give us new life in Him. 

     In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said that He did not come to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many. Jesus sacrificed all, and while He was on this earth, He manifested His love for others by serving others. He healed the sick, cast out demons, feed the hungry and acted in a compassionate manner to all those who would come to Him for help. 

      In the same way that Jesus showed love through serving others and through sacrifice, we are to do the same thing as we try to live for Jesus in this world. One of the Bible passages that really deals with this is found in I John 3:17-18 that reads, "But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth."

     Those that truly have the love of Jesus within their hearts will demonstrate that love by helping others. Those who truly love Jesus will do what the can with what they have to make this world a better place. They will try to do good to the least of those among us. 

     There is a lot of hurt and pain in this world. Many need help. We as believers in Jesus need to show that we have the love of the Lord within us by reaching out and helping in the way that we can. Some many be able to do more than others. If we see a need and we can offer aid, we need to do that. That is how we show that the love of God is in us. 

     The greatest need of the human race is to know Jesus as Savior and Lord. We show that the love of the Lord is within us by telling others of the life-changing love and grace of the Lord Jesus. By reaching out in love, we can offer people that which will not only matter for time, but it will ultimately matter for all of eternity. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     I found out this week that one of my uncle's has cancer. Please pray that he will get better. Thank you. 

     Pray for those affected by the hurricane here in the US. Pray that those in need will get the assistance that they need. 

     Let us pray for an end to the mpox outbreak. Pray that vaccines will get to those who need them. 

     Continue to pray for peace in the world. Let us pray for peace in Israel, Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan. Pray for the release of the hostages. 

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

     Next week, we will continue with our current series. I will post the verses on Monday. I am working on a new book project that I hope to have ready to post in a few weeks. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

 Jeremiah 31:3 -- "I have loved you with an everlasting love."

Matthew 28:20b -- "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Weekend Sermon -- A Reflection On Life's Important Things

      Welcome to the weekend sermon. I hope you are doing well. I've had a good week, and I've been feeling some better than I have been of late. 

     As you may know, we recently began a new series of messages on the characteristics of love. We will get back to that series next week. However, something that I heard this last week got me thinking about something that I want to write about for the sermon this week. 

     This week, I was listening to a discussion where people where reflecting on what the most important things in their lives have been. What are three really pivotal things or important things that have made one's life what it is at the present moment. This got me to thinking about three things that were of monumental importance in making my life what it is today. 

     The first thing that has made my life what it is today is my faith in the Lord Jesus. I have absolutely no idea what my life would be like with Jesus because my whole life has been centered around the Christian faith. My family always attended church, and I can't remember a time when we did not go to church and when the church and church related things weren't a significant factor in my life. 

     I accepted Jesus as the Savior and Lord of my life at a young age, and I've tried to follow Him since then. I felt called to be a missionary at one point, but my health would not allow it. I have by the grace of God been able to be a minister and an evangelist, and I've tried to share the message of the love of Jesus with others as best I can. 

     My life centers around Jesus and doing what He says. Although, I have certainly not always succeeded in doing what He wants me to do. Thinking about what Jesus would want me to do in each given situation is what motivates me in my life and in my life's pursuits. I just don't know any other way to live. So, obviously that would be the most important thing in my life. It is what infuses my entire life. 

     The second thing that has made my life what it is today is the fact that the Lord Jesus allowed me to find my friend Toby when I needed him most. There was a time in my life when I suffered from severe depression. I know I've just said that Jesus has always been at the center of my life, but Christians can suffer from depression. I was depressed a lot in my young life, and I still have some problems with depression. I lot of the depression in my younger life started because of people in church and a church run school that really at one point made my life a living hell. 

     At my lowest point, I found my friend Toby. He was a Welsh Corgi. I believe that Jesus sent him to me to be my friend. I state without reservation that if Toby had not come along when he did, I would not be here today. Finding him as friend saved my life. Knowing him allowed me to experience unconditional love and friendship that has lasted throughout the course of my life. 

     Because of my friendship with Toby, a whole world of experience opened to me. I learned about Wales, the Welsh language, and so many other things that are important to me today. Because of Toby I became a writer, and that has certainly been an important part of my life. 

     Jesus made this a reality for me. All of life is in and through Him. 

     Now, the third thing that has made my life what it is today is music. I have a great love for music especially jazz and classical music. Jazz over and above all. I discovered jazz accidentally when I was about 16 years old. I just happened to hear it on the radio. Now, there is not a day that goes by that I don't listen to jazz. It is on every night at my house. Toby liked jazz too by the way. 

     Music has helped me to deal with many of the problems I've faced in life. It helps me to find peace in the midst of a troubled world. I thank God that I've had the opportunity to make music part of my life through singing in choirs, playing the trumpet and composing a couple of songs. 

     There are other things, of course that have made me what I am today. But Jesus is who has made my life truly what it is. I couldn't make it without Him and without the relationships and gifts that He has provided me. 

     I look forward to one day seeing Jesus, being reunited with my friend Toby and listening to the beautiful music of Heaven. 

     As I bring this message to a close, I hope that you will analyze your life and see what has made it what it is today. I hope that you realize the difference that knowing Jesus can bring. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     As I mentioned, I have been feeling some better. Please continue to pray for me. Thank you. 

     Keep praying that the hostages being held in Gaza will be released. 

     Pray for an end to the mpox outbreak. 

     Let us pray for peace. Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Yemen and other nations need our prayers for peace. 

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

     Next week, we will pick back up with our characteristics of love sermon series. I will post the verses on Monday. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week And An Update

      Sorry the verses are late. I couldn't get to the library because they were closed for Labor Day. I also want to let you know that the sermon will be posted on Saturday this week. 

Here are the verses

John 17:3 -- "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only True God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

Luke 19:10 -- "For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost."

Weekend Sermon -- Characteristics of Love -- Part 2

      Thank you for reading the message this week. This has been a very hot and stormy week where I live here in the middle of the US. I hope that you are all having a good week. I thank the Lord for giving me the opportunity to post these messages. 

     Last week, we began a new series of messages looking into what the Bible has to say about the importance of love and being a loving person. We are looking at what characteristics will be part of the life of a person living a life of love according to the Scriptures. 

     In the message last week, we saw that Jesus gave all of us who are His followers a new commandment. He told us to love one another. Love is what the Christian faith is all about because we follow the one who loved us so much that He came from Heaven to redeem us from our sins. 

     Today, I want us to focus on what I am calling the priorities of love according to Jesus. In Matthew 22, Jesus tells us that what the two greatest commandments are. He tells us that the greatest commandment is to the love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. The second commandment is that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. 

     Let's start with the greatest commandment. Jesus tells us that in order to be the people of love that He has called us to be, we need to love God with all that we have within us. That means that all of our life is to be devoted to and direct toward knowing God and doing what He has called us to do in this world. We are to give all we have within us to serve God and to draw closer to Him each and every day. Part of this manifests itself in being obedient to the commandments given to us by the Lord Jesus. 

     When we love God, we will also love our neighbor. Jesus illustrated this type of love by giving us the parable of the Good Samaritan. We are to love everyone in this world. Everyone is our neighbor. 

     Loving our neighbor as ourselves means following the Golden Rule given to us by the Lord. Jesus told us to do unto others as we would have done to us. We should treat other people the same way that we would like to be treated. We should help others and seek the best for others as we are enabled and strengthened by the Lord Jesus. 

     Being a person who loves others the way that Jesus intended means loving our enemies and even doing good to those who aren't always very nice to us. I know that this is a very difficult thing to do. However, I believe that if we make the attempt to be a person of love in the world, the Lord Jesus will give us the help that we need to do it. Even if we are rejected, the Lord Jesus knows that we tried to reach out in love to a hurting world. 

     The greatest way that we can demonstrate love for our neighbors is to share with them the good news of Jesus' love. When we tell others about Jesus, we are telling them how they can have forgiveness of sins and eternal life in the presence of the Lord Jesus forever. That is the greatest gift that one person can ever give to another person. Amen. 

     Prayer Requests

     Please keeping praying that I will feel better. I am trying to do the best I can. I need the Lord's help every day. 

     Pray for an end to the mpox outbreak. 

    Let us keep praying for peace. Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and Sudan all need our prayers. I heard on the news this week that there is a lot of conflict in Colombia right now. Let us pray for peace in that country. 

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

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

Verses For The Week

 Luke 9:23 -- "Then He said to them all: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.'"

Luke 14:33 -- "So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.""

Weekend Sermon -- Characteristics of Love -- Part 1

      Thank you for once again taking the time to read the sermon for this week. I hope you are all well. I have been feeling better. 

      Last week, we finished our study of the book of II Thessalonians. That means that it is time for us to start on something new for the sermons. For the next several weeks, we will be focusing on what the Bible has to say about the characteristics of love. The Bible is quite explicit in telling us that God is love and that those who live in love live in God. God in His love for us sent His Son to die on the cross to redeem us from our sins. 

     Over the course of this series of messages, I want us to look at what are some of the behaviors that are associated with being a truly loving person. I want us to look at what love is really all about as far as the Scriptures are concerned. 

     In today's message, I want us to start off by looking into the words that Jesus told us about love. Jesus gave those of us who are His followers a new commandment. We find this recorded in John 13:34-35 and in John 15:12-13 that states, "My commandment is this: love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends."

     We are told that in order to be true followers of Jesus, we have to love one another. In essence, love is what the Christian religion is all about. That is due to the fact that Jesus was the man of love. Everything that He did was motivated by the great love that He had for us. He loved us so much that He was willing to lay down His life for us. He was willing to come and humble Himself and suffer the humiliation of the cross in order that those whom He loved might have a place with Him forever in Heaven. 

     In the book of I John chapter 4, we are told that we abide in God when we abide in love. We cannot say that we are a true follower of God if we do not have love within our hearts. 

     Anytime that we as followers of Jesus do not act in a loving manner, we are not following the commandment that Jesus gave to us. By acting in an unloving manner, we can do great harm to the cause of Christ. Right now, in my country, I believe that one of the reasons that so many people are leaving the church and don't want to have anything to do with the Christian faith is due to the fact that many have seen professing Christians acting in a hateful and spiteful manner towards others instead of loving and reaching out in love to others as Jesus has told us to do. A lot of this has to do with politics.

      It is clear that Jesus was all about love and loving others. What I want to do in the weeks to come is to look at places in the Bible that tell us what true love looks like. What is involved in being a truly loving person? If we are truly a person of love how does that manifest itself in our lives? We will find the answers to these questions by looking at the actions and words of Jesus and by examining the Bible's great chapter on love found in I Corinthians 13.

     All of us need to start by recognizing that in order to truly follow Jesus, we have to be willing to follow the commandment that He has given us to love others. That means loving everyone. When we realize that we must love others we will be on the road to becoming more like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I have been feeling some better, and I thank the Lord for this. Please keep praying for me that I will keep doing well. Thank you. 

     Please pray for an end to the mpox outbreak. Also, there is a summer covid surge taking place in parts of my country. Pray that this will come to an end as well. 

     Keep praying for peace. Pray for peace in Ukraine and Sudan. Pray for the release of the hostages and for peace in Israel and Gaza. Pray that a wider war will not take place in the Middle East. 

     Let us keep praying that those affected by the hurricanes will receive the help and the aid that they need to recover. 

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

     Next week, we will go deeper into our series. I will post the verses on Monday. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

      I am sorry that the verses are delayed.

John 13:34 -- "A new command I give you, love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

Galatians 6:2 -- "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

Weekend Sermon -- II Thessalonians -- Conclusion

      Thank you for once again taking the time to read the sermon for the week. I pray that everyone has had a good week so far. 

     Over the past couple of months, we've studied the book of II Thessalonians. In our message for today, we will be concluding that study. It is my hope and prayer that you have learned something from this study, and that you have grown closer to the Lord during the study of this epistle. We will be starting a new study next week. 

     For today, I want us to focus on one last verse from chapter 3. Chapter 3 verse 16 states, "Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you."

     First of all, Paul calls the Lord Jesus the Lord of peace. He is peace in and of itself. In the person of Jesus Christ all is peace in every way. Because He is the very personification of peace, He is able to provide us with peace in a multitude of different ways. 

     The first way that Jesus gives us His peace that comes to my mind is that Jesus has provided peace between us and the Father in Heaven. Because of our sins, the Bible says that we were at enmity with God. We were fighting against God and alienated from God because we wanted to go our own way, and we did not want to follow the path of righteousness ordained by God. Because of our sin, we were under judgment. However, Jesus came in order to reconcile God with humans. He accomplished this by sacrificing Himself on the cross. He took our sins upon Himself, and He took for us that punishment that we deserved for our sins. 

     Since Jesus has provided atonement for sins, those who are in Him have been reconciled to God. We are not in rebellion against God any longer. We have ended our rebellion against God by accepting Jesus as the Lord of our lives. 

     Jesus also gives us His peace as we make our way through this life. He does this I believe in two ways. First of all, He provides peace because He has given us a promise. Jesus has told us that if we believe in Him and trust in Him, we will go to be with Him forever in the place that He has prepared for those who love Him. We don't have to worry about what this life brings nor do we have to worry about what happens at the end of life. We will be with Jesus.

     Jesus gives us peace during the struggles of our lives because He is always with us. He never leaves us and He never forsakes us. When facing hardship, we can meditate on His unfailing love that resides in the very center of our being. His peaceful presence will help us through the various storms that this life can bring to us. 

     Finally, Jesus gives us peace through His teachings. This world is filled with war, strife, and turmoil. However, it doesn't have to be this way. If people would follow the teachings of Jesus, peace would come. Jesus taught us to do unto others as we would have done to us. He told us to love our neighbor as ourselves. He told us to turn the other check, love our enemies and go the extra mile. Following Jesus would make the world so much more peaceful and good. 

     This we know. Perfect peace will come throughout the entire universe when Jesus returns. Nation will no longer rise against nation. Swords will be beaten into ploughshares. Everything will return to the Edenic state. 

     II Thessalonians has taught us among other things that Jesus is coming. You can be ready to meet the Lord by turning your life over to Him. Repent of your sins and turn to Jesus for forgiveness. Make Him the Lord of your life, and follow Him wherever He leads. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     Please pray for me in regard to a financial matter. A company that I am dealing with is trying to get money from me that I do not owe. Please pray that this will be resolved. Also, I believe that the Lord is calling me to do something new in ministry. Please pray for me as I try to discern His will in this matter. Thank you.

     Keep praying for those affected by the natural disasters around the world. Pray that people will get the aid that they need. 

     Pray for an end to the mpox outbreak in Africa. 

     Let us all keep praying for peace. Pray for peace in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Sudan and wherever war is at hand. Pray that humanitarian relief will reach Sudan. 

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

     Next week I will start a new series of messages. I will post the verses on Monday. May God bless you all.