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. 

Verses For The Week

 Proverbs 22:9 -- "The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor."

John 15:12 -- "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."

Weekend Sermon -- II Thessalonians 3:10

      I am sorry that the sermon is delayed this week. I hope that all of you are doing well. I've been having a very busy week. 

     We have this week and next in our sermon series on II Thessalonians. Today, I want to go back and cover one verse in particular that was part of our passage last week. The reason for this is that this verse is often misapplied and used by some ministers and politicians to say something that Paul is not trying to say at all in this specific verse. 

     In II Thessalonians 3:10 Paul writes, "For even when we were with you we gave the rule, the one who is unwilling to work shall not eat." This verse was written to a specific set of believers, and Paul was trying to correct a specific problem dealing with a misinterpretation about the return of Jesus. 

     If you recall, I went through a series of messages a couple of years ago about verses in the Bible that are misinterpreted. This is one of the verses I dealt with in that series. I have heard many preachers over the years use this verse in a way that it was never intended. 

     When I was much younger that I am now, my folks and I attended a fundamentalist church. At that time, I started trying to help improve the homelessness situation in my area. There was a great organization in the area that I was working with. I wanted the church to become involved in helping with that ministry. However, the pastor of the church brought up this verse. If those homeless people weren't working, they shouldn't be given anything to eat. 

     Over the years, I've heard ministers and right-wing politicians use this verse to justify cutting social welfare programs and cease the giving of assistance to those in poverty or facing difficult circumstances. It seems to be a go to verse when someone doesn't want to help a poor person.

     Let me say this. Paul was speaking in this verse about those who had stopped working because they thought Jesus was coming right away. Paul wanted the people to get back to doing what they needed to do in their everyday lives because Paul knew, and Jesus said it as well, no one knows the day nor the hour when Jesus will return. Paul also gave this admonition to those who were ministering with him. He wanted those in ministry with him to work in order to support themselves and not take money from the people. 

     I believe that the Bible is clear. A person should try to support themselves to the extent that they possible can. However, there are a lot of people that can't work and even if they are working, they can't always get enough to cover their basic needs. Of course, there are many children who can't get enough to eat and that's why I thank God that here where I live more schools are providing free breakfast and lunch for the kids. 

    This verse does not have anything to do with programs to aid the poor or help people who are in need. There are a lot of reasons that a person might need help. Jesus told us that our job as believers was to help the least among us. We are to help the poor as we are enabled by the Lord. 

     Jesus didn't ask who was working when He fed the five thousand. Jesus, John and James all tell us in the New Testament to be of aid and service to others. 

     There are some people who will take advantage of people's goodwill. That is not an excuse not to help people who are doing the best that they can to make it in this world. Always try to remember when you see someone who is going to the food pantry or who is using food aid, there but for the grace of God go I. You never know when you might need help, and at that time, you will be grateful that programs exist to help. I know this firsthand. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     I have been doing better with my health. I thank the Lord for this. 

     Please pray for those affected by the storms here in the US. Continue to pray for those recovering from the Beryl.

     The wildfires in Canada and California are very bad. Pray that they might be extinguished. 

     Keep praying for peace. Pray for peace in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and Sudan this week. 

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

     Next week, we will conclude our study of II Thessalonians. I will post the verses on Monday. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

  II Timothy 1:9 -- "He saved us and called us to a holy life, not because of anything that we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time."

John 1:16 -- "Out of His fulness we have all received grace in place of grace already given."

Weekend Sermon -- II Thessalonians 3:6-14

      Thanks for taking the time to read the message. I hope that everyone is doing well. I am thankful that the bad storms in the Midwest didn't come where I live, but those who were affected need our prayers. 

     We are coming close to the end of our study of II Thessalonians. After today's message, I will have two more messages on this epistle before we finish up. In our passage today, I want to focus on the two themes that Paul is addressing. Next week, I want to come back and focus on one verse in particular from this passage that is very much misinterpreted and misapplied. 

     As we have seen through our study thus far, Paul has been addressing the theme of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. He is attempting to answer the questions and the misunderstandings that the believers at Thessalonica had surrounding this topic. 

     In our passage for today, Paul is addressing the apparent problem of people waiting for Jesus to come and being idle and not working. They were just waiting for Jesus to come at any minute, so they stopped engaging in the other parts of life. 

     Paul tells the people to stop being idle. No one knows exactly when Jesus is going to return. As we eagerly await the return of the Lord, we need to live our lives for the glory of the Lord in all aspects. That means that we need to work and earn a living. It means that we need to be out engaged with the world showing forth in everything that we do that Jesus is the Lord of our lives. 

     While Paul is mainly addressing idleness by not working and earning a living, I also want to focus on the fact that while we wait for the Lord Jesus to return, we don't want to be spiritually idle. As Jesus told us, we don't want to be like the servant who wasn't doing his master's business when the master returned from a long journey. We don't want to be ashamed at the coming of the Lord Jesus. 

     There are at least two ways that we can do this. First of all, we need to focus on finding ways to tell others about Jesus. We need to find some way that we can be about fulfilling the Great Commission. Make it your goal to find some way to tell others that Jesus loves them and wants them to come to Him to find life. Also, we need to honor the Lord Jesus in the way that we live our lives. We need to put Him first in all that we do. Everything we do needs to be done for the honor and glory of the Lord as we wait for Him to come again and restore all things. 

    Now, Paul also speaks about something in this passage that I would like to address. He made it clear that he and his associates did not take anything while they were ministering among the people. They even paid for their own food. Paul did not want it to look as if he was in it for the money so to speak. Now, Paul made it clear that it was alright for a minister to be paid. But, it's not about the money. 

     We have so many ministers and churches that have turned people away from Jesus because of money and things and riches. So many are turned off when ministers live extravagant lifestyles and ask for more and more money. It is not right. Those in the ministry should live modest lives for the honor and glory of the Lord. They must be examples of laying up treasure in Heaven and not laying up treasure on earth. 

     Let each of us live lives that honor the Lord while we wait for His return. Let us all find ways to serve Him and do good. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I have been having a spell of poor health again. I am supposed to go to the doctor next week. Please keep praying for me. Thank you. 

     Pray that all will be safe at the Olympics.

     Pray for the safety of the candidates as they campaign here in the US.

     Please remember to pray for those affected by the bad storms. The states of Kansas and Nebraska were hit hard by storms this last week. There are also many still recovering from Beryl.

     Let us keep praying for peace. We need to pray for peace in the Middle East. The situation there is precarious right now. Also remember to pray for peace in Ukraine and Sudan. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Afghanistan and Mali. 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. 

Verses For The Week

 I Peter 4:8 -- "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins."

Romans 12:10 -- "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor."

Weekend Sermon -- II Thessalonians 3:4-5

      Thank you for taking the time to read the message for this week. I hope you are all doing well. I am doing some better. This week, we will once again be studying what the Lord has to teach us from Paul's second epistle to the Thessalonians. 

     As we begin today, we see that Paul had complete confidence in the believers in Thessalonica that they would continue to do the things that Paul taught them concerning following the commandments of the Lord. Paul did not have confidence because he was something special. He had confidence that the people would continue to follow Christ's teachings because the Lord Himself would be the one who would lead and guide His own people. Paul's confidence in all things was not in people. His confidence was in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

    Just as Paul's confidence in all things was in Jesus, Jesus is the one who we should place our confidence in. This means that in everything we do, we look to Jesus to lead us and guide. We demonstrate initially that our confidence is in Jesus when we trust in Him solely for our salvation and we do not try to depend on our good works and actions to make us right with God.

     We then demonstrate our confidence in the Lord when we do the things that He has directed His followers to do in the Bible. We show that we trust Him when we are willing to acknowledge what He has to say about the way that life should be lived. When we live according to the precepts and principles of Jesus, we show that Jesus is our Lord and that we truly believe that what He has to teach is the right thing.

     We also show our confidence is in Jesus when we follow His will for our lives. When we are willing to set aside our own desires to do the things that the Lord has directed us to do, we are showing that our confidence is in Him to lead us along the path that is right for us and that He knows what is best for us for time and for eternity. 

     In verse five of chapter three, Paul goes on to say that he hoped that God would direct the people's hearts to the love of God and the perseverance of Christ. What Paul is saying is that it is his desire that God would move and work in the people's lives so that they would grow in their love for Him. When God is moving and working in our hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit, we become more and more like Jesus. We learn more about Jesus. We learn to do what He did and act the way that He did while He was living here on this earth. 

     The phrase the perseverance of Christ is interesting to me. It tells me two different things. First of all, Jesus is our example. As He persevered and made His way through the world, we can follow His example and make it through this life in the same manner that He did. I also find it interesting because it speaks to me of the suffering of Jesus. The entire time that Jesus was on this earth was a time of suffering for Him. He had humbled Himself, and He took upon Himself the form of a servant. Every day on this earth was a trial for our Lord leading to His sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary. The Bible tells us that Jesus was tempted in every way as we are, yet He did not sin. Through trial and suffering, Jesus accomplished His mission. By following His example, we too can overcome and be and act like Jesus in the midst of the hardships of this world. Amen. 

Prayer Requests 

     Over the course of time, I've written on here about my health difficulties and asked for prayer on my behalf. I want to thank the Lord that my arthritis is doing better, and I've not had much asthma trouble over the summer. I am having a few other issues, and I would like to ask for your continued prayers. Thank you. 

     Please pray for those recovering from hurricane Beryl. Many people are still struggling to put their lives back together. Pray that they will receive the assistance that they need. 

     Keep praying for peace. Pray that the hostages in Gaza will be released and that Israel and Gaza can have peace. Pray for peace in Sudan and Ukraine especially this week as well. 

     Pray that the fires in Canada can be extinguished. 

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

     Next week, we will continue with our current study. May God bless you all. 

     

Verses For The Week

 Proverbs 19:17 -- "Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward them for what they have done."

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

Weekend Sermon -- II Thessalonians 3:1-3

      Thank you for reading the message this week. I hope that everyone is having a very good week. I am doing some better in regard to my health problems. 

     Over the course of the last few weeks, we have been going in a systematic way through the book of II Thessalonians. In our message last week, we discussed the fact that as believers in Jesus, we need to be living in such a way that we would not be ashamed if the Lord were to come back at this very moment. 

     In our message for today, we are going to see Paul shift gears so to speak. He begins chapter 3 by asking those in the church at Thessalonica to pray for him. He asks for their prayers in two specific ways. he asks that they pray that the message that he is bringing about the Lord will be received and honored, and he asks that they pray that he and his colleagues would be delivered from wicked and evil people who would try to hinder what they were trying to accomplish for the Lord. 

     First of all, Paul wanted the message of the love and grace of Jesus to reach as many people as possible. He was extremely faithful in doing all that he could to obey the Great Commission. Just as Paul needed prayer for the message of the Gospel to reach as many people as possible, we need to pray that the message of the grace of Jesus will reach people. 

     According to data from several sources, about 30 percent of the people in this world claim to be some type of Christian. Probably not all of these are really believers. They may be cultural Christians, etc. However, just taking the 30 percent figure at face value, that means that 70 percent of the people in this world do not claim any affiliation with the Christian faith. Billions and billions of people need to hear the message of the love of Jesus in this world.  At the very least, we need to pray for the advancement of the Gospel around the world. If possible, we need to go into the places in this world where there are few Christians and spread the message of Jesus. We all need to do whatever we can to spread the message of Jesus wherever we find ourselves in this world. 

     One of the things that I do when I pray is to pray for those who are missionaries in the world. We can all pray that they will be able to share the word of the Lord effectively. 

     We all also need to pray for the safety of those who are out trying to be a witness for Jesus. The forces of the enemy are always trying to hinder the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to pray that missionaries and pastors and teachers will not be hindered as they work diligently to tell others about the love of the Lord. 

     In verse three of our text Paul says, "But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one." I believe what Paul is saying here specifically is that as we go and attempt to tell others about Jesus, the Lord will give us strength. It doesn't mean that nothing bad will ever happen to someone who is a Christian. When we make the effort to go and share the love of Jesus with the world, the Lord through the power of the Holy Spirit will give us courage and that ability to know what to say at the right moment. 

     I do believe that the Lord does protect us. We have ultimate protection. What I mean by this is the evil one can never snatch us out of the hand of the Lord. According to the Scriptures, if we are in Jesus we are sealed by the Holy Spirit. Jesus is in our heart, and Jesus is in the hand of the Father. There is not way that the evil one can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. Even when we die, the evil one can not harm us because Jesus will take us to be with Him forever. We are secure in the Lord Jesus.  Amen.

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying that my lungs and my arthritis will improve. I am doing better, but I still have a long way to go. Thank you for your prayers. 

     Please pray in regard to the terrible humanitarian crisis in Sudan. There is a lot of suffering going on there. Pray for an end to the conflict that is bringing so much pain and suffering. Pray that the people will get the aid and the help that they need. 

     Keep praying for peace in other parts of the world including Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Yemen and Syria. Pray that a wider war will not develop in the Middle East. 

     Pray for those recovering from natural disasters. There are still people recovering from Hurricane Beryl. Pray that they 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  Brunei and Iran. 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

 Colossians 3:13 -- "Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you."

Acts 10:43 -- "All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name."

Weekend Sermon -- II Thessalonians 2:15-17

      Thank you for taking time to view the message this week. I am thankful that the Lord continues to give me the opportunity to post these messages. It is my hope and prayer always that you are all doing well. 

     Today, we are going to continue studying what the Lord has to teach us from the epistle of II Thessalonians. Over the last few messages, we have seen that Paul is telling the people that just before the Lord Jesus comes back to this earth, there will be a time of a great apostasy or falling away from the faith. There will also be the revealing of the one whom Paul refers to as the man of lawlessness who is  called the antichrist in other parts of the Bible. People will believe in the the antichrist because they have chosen to turn against the True and Living God. Therefore, God will send them a strong delusion in order that they will believe the lie and the lies of the antichrist. 

     In our passage today, Paul instructs the believers in the church in Thessalonica about what they are to do in light of the fact that Jesus is coming. First of all, I want to state something. The Bible is clear that no one knows the day nor the hour when Jesus will return. We don't know for certain what all the out workings of  Bible prophecy will be. There are a number of different interpretations about these things by well-meaning people. 

    We do know this. Jesus said that He would come again, and He wants to find us in readiness when the time comes for His return. We know that Jesus will come literally and not figuratively. He will rule and reign on this earth. All Christians who believe in conservative theology agree on this. 

     All of the events that Paul is speaking about could occur swiftly. On the other hand, Jesus may not return for a long time. So, with that in mind, what should our attitude be? What should we do?  

     Paul tells us. He states in verse 15 of our passage, "So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter." In other words, Paul was telling the people that they need to keep on following the teachings and commandments of Jesus that Paul has related to them in his letters and through the time that he was teaching them in person. They are to follow Jesus in all things and not look to the left nor to the right. They are to keep on the narrow path that leads to life. 

     In verse 17, Paul says that we are to do good in word and deed as we are strengthened by the Lord. This means that we are to be speaking words that heal, help and encourage and not words that tear people down and injury them. We are to help others and do as much as we can to help others make it through this world that is having more and more problems each and every day. 

     While we wait for the coming of the Lord, I believe that we need to be doing three categories of things. First, we need to obey the Great Commission. We need to be telling as many people as we can about the love, mercy and grace of Jesus. Second, we are to be living lives of holiness and avoiding sin.  One of the chief ways that we do this is by following the words of Jesus given to us. He told us to do unto others as we would have done to us. Jesus gave us a new commandment to love one another even as He has loved us. Love fulfills the law. Third, we need to be ministering to the needs of a hurting world. We do these by following the words of Jesus to do unto the least of those among us as if we are ministering unto Him. 

    Let each of us live our lives in such a way that we will be ready and not ashamed if Jesus should return immediately. If you don't know Jesus as Savior and Lord, I pray that you will turn your life over to Him now. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I have been having lung and breathing troubles again. Please keep praying for me. I really appreciate it. 

     We all need to pray diligently for an end to the wars and conflicts going on around the world. Pray for peace in Israel, Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan this week. 

     Please pray for all of those suffering as a result of natural disasters. Pray that they will receive the aid that they need. Pray that those in Texas will get their electricity back on. 

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

     Next week, we will begin chapter three of II Thessalonians. I will post the verses on Monday. May God bless you all. 

Prayer Request and Update

      Please pray that the storms they are predicting for my area will not be bad. We had some very minor wind damage from the storm last night. Also, I want to let you know that the sermon will be posted on Saturday this week. Thank you. May God bless you. 

Verses For The Week

 Psalm 16:11 -- "You will teach me how to live a holy life. Being with you will fill me with joy; at your right hand I will find pleasure forever."

Nehemiah 8:10 -- "For the joy of the Lord is your strength."

Weekend Sermon -- II Thessalonians 2:11-14

      Thank you once again for taking the time to read the sermon this week. This has been a rough week in my part of the world. Just north of where I live there has been a lot of flooding. Thank God, the weather is supposed to be nice for the next couple of days at least. I hope that all of you are doing well. 

     This week, we are again looking into what the Lord has to teach us from the second epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians. Last week, we saw that just before Jesus returns to this earth, the man of lawlessness will be revealed. Paul was making sure that the people understood that the Second Coming has not already taken place. The antichrist would come on the scene before Jesus would come back. 

     Those who have not followed the Lord Jesus in this life will be the ones who are deceived by the antichrist. He will perform signs to lead people into believing that he is really God. However, the antichrist will be overcome when Jesus returns. 

     When Jesus returns, there will be a judgment. Those who have chosen of their own free will to reject Jesus will be forever separated from Him. They will have no part in the New Heaven and the New Earth that the Lord Jesus will bring about. 

     On the other hand, Paul makes it clear in our passage today that those who have believed in the Lord and have been set apart by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit will enter into the joy of the Lord and will part of the Lord's eternal kingdom. Paul says that those who have believed in Jesus will share in the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. This means that we will be with Jesus forever. Those who believe will see the restoration of all things. They will see the New Jerusalem, and they will be able to go in and out of the gates of that great city. Those who believe will see Jesus high and lifted up in all of His glory. And those who are in Christ shall ever praise and glorify the Lamb with all the saints. 

     I want to backtrack a little and speak about Paul's mention in this chapter of people believing the lie. The lie that Paul is speaking about is twofold. First of all, many who are alive when the man of lawlessness is revealed will believe the lie that he tells that he is God. They will fall for his lying signs and wonders and worship him. However, I think that there is another component to this. 

     Humanity is in a great rebellion against God and the things of God. This world and this world system is already trapped in believing the lie, the great lie, that man does not need God. The vast majority of people want to do what they want to do when they want to do it regardless of what God has revealed to be His will. People do evil things and are continually going against the moral and ethical standards of the Lord. 

     In order to make themselves appear to be righteous, people create their own false belief systems in order to justify themselves and their actions. This is all a lie, because it denies the True and Living God. The Bible says that their is a way that seems right to men, but the end is the way of death. 

     People want to believe the lie that there are many ways to God, or they believe that they can justify themselves. Many nowadays reject the idea of God altogether. However, the Word of the Lord is very clear. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through Jesus. We can only be right with God and end our rebellion against Him by coming to faith in Jesus. We have to turn from our sin and turn to the Savior. We must acknowledge Jesus as Lord. 

     I hope that you have asked Jesus to be your Savior and Lord. He invites everyone to come to Him. Those who come to Him will be part of His great kingdom that is to come. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please continue to pray that I will get to feeling better. Thank you. 

     Pray for those who were impacted by hurricane Beryl. Pray that they will get the aid that they need to recover. Also, pray that this storm will weaken and stop hurting people. 

     Let us keep praying for peace. Remember to pray for peace in Sudan, Israel, Gaza and Ukraine this week. 

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

     Next week, we will continue in II Thessalonians. I will post the verses on Monday. May God bless you all.