Verses For The Week

 Psalm 23:3 -- "He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake."

I Peter 5:7 -- "cast all of your cares upon Him, because He cares for you."

Some Saturday Thoughts About My Friend Toby, the Weather, Etc.

      As some of you may know, I live in a rural area southwest of Kansas City. We were supposed to have really bad storms yesterday. Thank God, we didn't have any storms. Others in the area were hit by terrible tornadoes. Nebraska and Iowa were hard hit. There was a tornado in Southeastern Kansas that tracked over into Missouri. 

      Today, the area were I live is supposed to get hit with bad storms again. Please pray that these storms do not materialize. I don't want any storms, and I don't want anyone else to have any problems. Especially pray that we don't have flooding. Thank you for your prayers about these things. Pray for those that were harmed by the storms that they will get the aid that they need. 

     While I was watching to see where the storms were going to fire up yesterday, I got to thinking about all of the times my friend Toby and I had to watch and dodge the Kansas storms. We've certainly had more than our fair share of bad weather over the years. 

     I remember one year when they sounded the sirens for a tornado warning in my small town. The two of us went down into the little storm shelter my mom had installed. The folks were at work, so it was just me and Toby down there. For those that don't know, Toby was with me in my mid teens to my late twenties. The wind blew like I had never seen before. There was a lot of hail. One thing I could rely on is that Toby was never scarred of storms nor of thunder like many dogs. He would growl at the thunder as if a small dog could scare the thunder into submission. 

    Another time, the two of us got on local TV during a storm. We were outside when they put out a tornado warning out for a town a few miles away. It was supposed to be coming into our area, but there wasn't even a cloud in the sky. I went with Toby out into a field were we could get a better view of the area toward the town where there was the tornado. About that time, we could hear a helicopter that was from one of the Kansas City stations coming out to see the tornado cell. 

     Not too long after that, we saw what looked like a very small tornado in the distance. We made a quick run to the storm shelter. 

     I didn't know it until later in the day, but my friend said that the helicopter man showed us on TV down on the ground. He said I hope that man and dog know there is a storm coming. When we started running to the shelter, he said that we must have seen the tornado and were heading to safety. 

     The worst two storms that we were in, we couldn't get to a shelter. By the way, the old storm shelter at my house is no more, so if a storm comes God help me. Once, a storm came up in the middle of the night. My mom came in the room and told me to take Toby and get in the closet. It was hailing so much that we couldn't go to the shelter. The hail was terrible that night. It destroyed two of our window A/C units. All the corn crop in the area was destroyed, and we had to get a new roof on the house. Thank God that Toby was there during the storm to keep me from being scared. 

     The other bad storm happened while we were traveling in Colorado. I stopped with Toby at a motel for the night in Eastern Colorado. Toby and I went a lot of places together. They put out a tornado warning later in the evening. The clouds were actually rolling. I've never seen anything like it. Toby and I jumped into the bathtub and put a cover over us. There was no tornado touchdown nor even any rain, but about ten miles beyond where we where, there was a tornado. 

     I thank the Lord for my friend Toby. He helped me make it through storms and a lot of other really hard times. He helped me get over a bad depression. He helped me keep going through anxiety problems. He showed me what unconditional love is really all about. One thing I know. When he was with me, I was never afraid. He was tough and inspired great confidence. Sometime, I will tell you about how he keep our house protected when people tried to break in. 

     I am really missing my friend Toby right now. I am not doing well physically, and the depression that I've dealt with off and on since I was 15 years old is plaguing me again. I am hoping that we can be together again before too long. I am hoping and praying that all will be well the next few days. 

     Just on a side note, I've been watching some videos about two guys travelling in Wales. I always wished that Toby and I could have gone over there. When I watch the programs I think about the two of us walking on Snowdonia, visiting Beddgelert and Betws-y-Coed and seeing the Brecon Beacons and Tintern Abbey. Hopefully when we are together again, the Lord Jesus will let us see those places together in spirit. 

Weekend Sermon -- God is Light

      I am thankful to the Lord that I am able to post the sermon today. Yesterday, we had a lot of rain and storms, but they were not severe. Today, we are supposed to have tornadoes, and tomorrow we are supposed to have storms and flooding. Please keep praying that the storms will not be bad as predicted. I hope that all of you are doing well. 

     As you know, we have been studying some of the names and titles used to describe God found mostly in the Old Testament but in the New Testament as well. For our message today, I want us to focus on the fact that the Bible refers to God as light. The primary verse for this is I John 3:5 that tells us that God is light, and in Him there is not darkness at all.

     There are several other verses in the Bible that describe God as light. For instance, in James 1:17, God is called the Father of lights. Psalm 27:1 says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation."

     Jesus, who is God come in the flesh used the idea of light to describe Himself. In John 9:5, Jesus said, "I am the light of the world." He also said this in John 8:12. 

     I Timothy 6:16 is an interesting verse. It tells us that God lives in unapproachable light. Ezekiel describes the glorious light of God. In Revelation, John describes the Risen Lord as shining like the Sun in all its brilliance.

     As we can see, light is often used to describe God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. So, let's look into this. What does it mean that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all? It means that God is completely holy. He is pure and without any sin. He is the perfect being. He is glorious above all that we can ever even comprehend. There is no darkness in Him. He does not do anything that is opposed to His holy nature. 

    Because God is light. Because God is holy, He cannot be in the presence of sinfulness. That is why our sin separated us from God. That is why it is necessary that we have the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed into us. 

     God is light means something more direct to me. What I mean by this is that God is light means to me that He is the one that I can look to in order to know what to do. I have to look to Him in order to light my way through the world since the world is full of darkness that is doing all that it can to overcome the light of God. It will never be able to do it. 

     Now, Jesus said that He is the light of the world. He is the one who came to shine the light of God's love and forgiveness into this evil world filled with darkness and living in opposition and rebellion to the light of God. Jesus shined the message of God's love into this world. The darkness tried to overcome Jesus by killing Him. But God raised Jesus from the dead. He is the victor over all evil. His light shines and it is available to illuminate the heart that is still dead in trespasses and sin. Whosoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. Then those who trust in Jesus can be called the children of the light. 

     Jesus is our light in the darkness of this world. He is our perfect example. We can look to Him and know what we are to do. He is with us leading the way. He is illuminating our path as we keep our eyes fixed on Him not looking to the left nor to the right. 

     If you are living in the darkness, you can come to the light. You can know Jesus as Savior and Lord. You will be part of His eternal kingdom that will need no Sun by day because Jesus is the light. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     It could really be bad around my part of the world the next couple of days, so please pray. Also, I am really missing my friend Toby the last few days. Pray that I won't get real depressed. Thank you. 

     We must continue to pray for peace in Israel and Gaza. We need to pray for peace throughout the entire Middle East region. Be in prayer for peace in Ukraine and Sudan. Pray for an end to the unrest in Haiti. 

     Pray for those around the world harmed by natural disasters. Pray that they will get the help that they need to recover. 

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

     Praise God, I was able to get the final section of the book on the Minor Prophets posted. Please read it if you are interested, and I hope you are. Next week, I will post the verses on Monday, and we will continue with our current sermon series. May God bless you all.  

Exploring The Minor Prophets -- Vol 2. -- Part 6

 

Malachi

     Some people may not understand this, but Malachi is my favorite book of the Minor Prophets and one of my favorite books in the Bible. I think that the reason in twofold. I've preached and written about this book more than any of the other books that constitute the Minor Prophets. I also like Malachi because he is very direct. He tells it like it is. Much of what he has to say is very relevant to the times in which we live. 

     We don't now anything about the person who wrote this book. We aren't even sure that a person with the name Malachi wrote it. Malachi means "My Messenger". That could simply be a title for an unnamed person that God chose to bring His word to His people. Personally, I think that there was a person named Malachi. 

     We know from the book's content that the book was written after the completion of the new Temple after the people returned from exile. Most Bible scholars believe that the work was penned around 450 BC. 

     This work starts out in chapter one with God wanting to know why the people do not show Him the proper amount of respect. The people can't understand why God thinks that they do not respect Him. The Lord responds that one way that they are showing a lack of respect is due to the fact that they are bringing diseased and unsuitable animals for sacrifice. They would not serve the governor or an important person what was not the best, so why do they bring what is inferior as a sacrifice to the Lord?

     God is the great King over the entire universe. By His word everything that is has come into being. The entire universe holds together due to His great power. He is definitely worthy of respect. 

     Sometimes, I think that in our modern world we are not showing God the proper respect that He deserves. The way people dress for church has become very lax. They doesn't seem to be much respect for the sanctuary as people are talking and making a lot of noise right before the services. 

    I believe that the greatest disrespect that we show to God is when we say that we are His followers, but we do not do the things that He has told us to do. 

    The Lord has Malachi list some of the things that the people were to do but weren't doing. One of the people's major offenses was divorce. According to Jesus, the only reason that divorce is allowed is due to infidelity. I also believe that the Bible teaches self-defense. So, if necessary a person can Biblically get a divorce in order to keep themselves or their children from harm. 

    Another thing that Malachi lists is that worker's are robbed of their pay. Christians should pay the best wages. They should pay living wages so that their employees can take care of their own needs and the needs of their families. Malachi also talks about treating immigrants in the right way.

     I believe that it comes down to this. The main sin that Jesus came down on was hypocrisy. We need to practice what we preach. In that way, we are showing the proper respect and honor to God and not taking the name of the Lord in vain. 

     The book of Malachi closes with a prophecy. The Lord said that Elijah would come. This prophecy was fulfilled with John the Baptist. Jesus Himself said that this was the fulfillment of the prophecy. Once again, we see the Word of God proved to be correct in all that it says. 

Prayer Request

     The weather people are predicting very bad storms and flooding for my area over the next few days. Please pray that these storms will not be bad. Thank you.

Verses For The Week

      Psalm 4:8 -- "In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."

     Philippians 4:13 -- "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

Weekend Sermon -- God is Our Rock

      Thank you for taking time to read the sermon this week. I am grateful that I have the opportunity each week to post these messages. It has been a hard week in many ways, but I thank the Lord for helping me to get through it. 

     Today, we will once again be focusing on a name or title given to our God. We will focus today on the fact that God is at many times referred to in Scripture as being a rock or our rock. He is our rock both physically and spiritually. 

    As we always do, we want to start by looking at some of the places in the Bible where God is called a rock or our rock. One of the most well known of these verses is Psalm 18:2 that states, "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." There are many more places in the Psalms where God is referred to as a rock. 

     Deuteronomy 32:4 states, "The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness without iniquity, just and upright is He." We also read in Isaiah 26:4, "Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord our God is an everlasting rock." II Samuel 22:47 lets us know that, "The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation."

     One of the verses that really means a lot to me is Psalm 61:2. This verses says, "From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

     There are many, many more verses about God being our rock that we can find in the Old Testament. So, what does it mean that God is our rock?

     God is our rock when we are facing what we have to face in life. That is what really stands out to me. I will give you a couple of examples from my own life. 

     About 20 years ago now, my mother had a bad stroke that left her in really rough shape. She was in the hospital and the in hospital rehab for over six weeks. After that, she was doing rehab on an outpatient basis and at-home therapy for another six months. I would not have been able to get through all of that without God being my rock. 

    When I would go to the hospital, I would always stop at the chapel first thing. I would pray and ask the Lord to help me get through the day. I could feel in my spirit that God was my rock and foundation. He was my ground not letting me get too down so that I could make it through and be there for my mom and my dad. 

    The Lord has been my rock and strength going through the hardships I've had with my health the last few years. There have been points when I've been in a lot of pain when I've felt like giving up. But, God has been in my heart giving me the ability to go on even in very difficult times. 

    When we are facing the hard times, God is our rock. He gives us the ability and the strength to keep going. He is our refuge and strength. Nothing can ultimately harm us when we are in Him. 

    Now, let's look at something a little different. Jesus is called our rock and foundation in the New Testament. Peter tells us that Jesus was the stone or rock that the builders rejected, but He has become the cornerstone. Jesus said this same thing about Himself in Matthew's Gospel. Paul tells us in I Corinthians 3:11 that, "No one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."

    Jesus is the rock of our salvation. Through His death and resurrection, He has secured eternal salvation for all who will put their faith and trust in Him. Jesus is now the the cornerstone and foundation of the church. All that we have and hope for is built up upon Him. 

    Just as God is our rock, Jesus as God come in the flesh is our rock. He will never leave us nor will He forsake us. He is our rock in a weary land. And He is our rock providing a sure foundation for life now and eternal life in the age to come. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying for me. My health is improving, thank God. As I mentioned, I had a very upsetting experience with a family member the other day. I am still not happy about all of this. Pray that I can just keep going and not get depressed. I know that when others reject you, Jesus is there. I know too that my friend Toby is with me in spirit, and that helps to keep me going. 

     Please pray for those in my state who had damage from storms this week. A tornado hit two counties over from me and injured a couple of people. There was a lot of hail damage to the northwest of me. My house was not damaged. We just got heavy rain. I thank the Lord for getting me through these storms.

     Keep praying for peace. This week was something else in the Middle East. Pray for an end to all of these hostilities. Everyone needs to cool down. Also pray for peace in Ukraine, Sudan and Haiti. 

     Let us pray for the people in Dubai. There was some bad flooding there. 

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

    Next week, I really hope to get that final chapter of the Minor Prophets book posted. I will post the verses on Monday, and we will continue with our current sermon series. May God bless you all. 

Update

     I was planning on posting the last chapter of the book I wrote on the Minor Prophets. However, I am going to have to move that back to next week. Something very hurtful has happened to me today, and I am really upset. I will still be posting the sermon this week, but it may be Saturday when I do that. Thank you for reading the blog. This blog ministry is really what keeps me going. 

Verses For The Week

 Hebrews 13:16 -- "And do not forget to do good and share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."

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

Weekend Sermon -- God The Provider

      Thank you for taking the time to read the sermon. I am sorry that I didn't get the rest of the book posted this week. I will try to do better this week. I am having a lot of health issues, and my schedule at work is making it hard to get things done. I hope that you are all doing well. 

     Today, we are going to continue with our series of messages where we are looking at some of the names and titles for the Lord that we find primarily in the Old Testament. I want us to focus on the title for God found first in Genesis 22 that God is the one who provides. In Hebrew, God is called YHWH Jireh--the Lord who provides. 

     Let's look at the context where we see this title for God. Abraham was given a child of promise, namely Isaac. One day, God asked Abraham to take his son and offer him up as a sacrifice. Abraham sets off with Isaac to the place of sacrifice. Along the way, Isaac asks where is the lamb for the sacrifice. Abraham tells his son that God will provide the sacrifice. 

     Abraham prepares to sacrifice Isaac, but before he can do it, there is a sacrifice provided by the Lord. Isaac is not sacrificed. The sacrifice provided by God takes his place. 

     There are several other places in both the Old and New Testaments that speak to the fact that God is our provider. For instance, Psalm 107:9 states, "For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things."

     There are two great instances of the provision of the Lord that we see in the Old Testament. God provided manna in the wilderness so that the people would have what they needed to eat. When Elijah was fleeing from Ahab and Jezebel, God sent the ravens to Elijah with the food that he needed.

     In the New Testament, there are several references to the provision that God provides. Philippians 4:19 tells us that, "And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." We also read in James 1:17, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

     The Lord Jesus tells us about the provision of the Father. In Luke 12:24 He says, "Consider the ravens, they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouses nor barns, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than birds."

     Clearly, we see in the Bible that God is our provider. He provides for us in all ways. We have been given so many things by the hand of the Lord. We have food to eat, clothes to wear and places to live. Every good thing that we have in our lives we need to give thanks to God for for giving us these wonderful things. 

     Now, some will say that there are many that don't have enough. That is true. That is due to the fact that human beings don't take care of one another. God has made the provision. We as His followers must be diligent in helping those in need so that there is no need anywhere. We can do this. All of us, including me, are guilty of not doing enough to make sure the provision of God is distributed to all. 

     God has also provided for our spiritual needs. We needed forgiveness and salvation from sin. God provided us with the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. Jesus came into this world to show us the way. He bore our sins. He conquered sin, death and hell. And on top of this, we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit to be our comforter and to guide us into all truth. In addition, Jesus is always with us, and He promised never to leave us.

     God is our great provider. Let us thank Him. Let us help others. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying that I will get to feeling better. To be quite honest, I am having a lot of pain. Keep praying. Thank you.

     I want to thank the Lord that my brother is doing much better.

     Continue to pray for peace. Ukraine, Sudan, Libya and Haiti need our prayers. The entire situation in the Middle East is unstable right now. We need to pray for peace. Pray that a larger war does not erupt in that part of the world. 

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

     Next week, we will continue with our current sermon series. I will post the verses on Monday, and I really hope to get the final chapter of the book out this week. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

 Psalm 145:9 -- "The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works."

Nahum 1:7 -- "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him."

Weekend Sermon -- The Lord Is Our Shepherd

      I am thankful to be able to post the message this week. I have been dealing with a lot this week. Things have been hard at work, my health is not good, and I am having transportation issues. Please pray that all of this can be resolved. I do hope and pray that all of you are doing well. 

     For the past couple of weeks, we have been having posts centered around Holy Week and Easter. Today, we are getting back to our series on some of the names and titles for God found in the Old Testament. In this message, I want us to focus on a familiar title for God. In many place in both the Old and New Testaments, God is referred to as our shepherd. The most familiar of these occurrences is in the 23rd Psalm that tells us, "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want."

     That verse is only one of the places in the Bible where we see God referred to as a shepherd. In Genesis 48:15, Jacob states that the Lord had been his shepherd throughout all of his life. That is so true for Jacob, because the Lord watched over him and directed him in many different ways. 

     Another place where we see God referred to as a shepherd is in Isaiah chapter 40. There, it tells us that the Lord is a shepherd who feeds His flock. 

     Jesus, who is God come in the flesh, tells us in John 10 that He is the Good Shepherd. By telling us this, He is letting us know that He is equating Himself with the God who is our shepherd in the Old Testament. 

     Well, what does this title for God signify for us? First of all, let us look at what a shepherd does. Sheep are not really able to take care of themselves all that well in most places in this world. In New Zealand, I know that there are large sheep operations where the sheep are only brought in a couple of times a year for dipping and shearing. They don't need quite as much care because they don't have the abundance of predators that exist in some other places. Even there, the sheep require a lot of care and maintenance. In places where there are wolves, coyotes and other large predators, sheep need to be watched by a shepherd or flock protection dogs on a constant basis. 

     Sheep need to be protected and looked after in order to survive and thrive. They can't make it on their own. The Lord is our shepherd. He protects us from the evil one. Those who are in Christ are protected from death, hell and the grave. We can only have eternal life through Him. 

     The Lord also makes sure that our needs are met. Just as the shepherd leads the flock to green pastures, the Lord God supplies our needs. The Bible says that He has provided us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. 

     A shepherd leads the sheep. He makes sure that they don't get lost and separated from the flock. The Lord Jesus guides us in our life so that if we listen to Him, we will not go down the wrong path. If we listen to Him and His will for our lives, our lives will be better. We will also not be led astray by those who are telling us things that are contrary to the word and the will of the Lord. 

     Finally, shepherds go out after the lost sheep. Jesus said that He was like the shepherd who left the ninety-nine sheep in the fold and went out looking for the sheep that was lost. We are all lost sheep that have gone astray that Bible says. Jesus comes looking for those who are outside of His fold. He wants everyone to find safety and refuge within His love and forgiveness. The angels in heaven rejoice when one lost sheep is found by the loving Good Shepherd. 

     I am grateful that the Good Shepherd the Lord Jesus is watching over me. I don't know how I would make it in this world if it were not for the Lord helping me along. I hope that you are in the fold of the loving Good Shepherd today. Let Him find you, and you will know what true life and true love is. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please pray for my brother. He hurt his leg and has been having trouble.

     Pray that they will get the harbor cleared out in Baltimore.

     Please pray that the wind and the storms forecast in my area will not be bad this week. 

     Let us continue to pray for peace in the troubled areas of this world. Pray for and end to the hostilities between Israel in Gaza. Pray for those trying to bring aid in that area. Pray for those who mourn for those lost this past week. Let us also pray for peace in Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Haiti, Libya and the other troubled areas of this world. 

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

     This week, I will post the verses on Monday. I will be posting the sermon on Friday or Saturday. I am holding off on posting the final part of the book until the next week. May God bless you all.

Update

      I am dealing with a lot of different issues this week. I will be posting the final part of the Minor Prophets book next week. I hope to post the sermon on Saturday, but it might not get done. Please keep praying for me. Thank you. 

Verses For The Week

 Hebrews 2:14-15 -- "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery."

Isaiah 25:8 -- "He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of His people He will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken."

Weekend Sermon -- Easter

 Christ Is Risen!

He Is Risen Indeed!

     Thank you for taking the time to read the message for Easter. I hope that you are all well.

     Today we celebrate the glorious resurrection of Jesus. Jesus was crucified and died for our sins on Good Friday. He was in the grave for three days, and on Easter Sunday morning, He rose bodily from the grave defeating death, hell and the grave once and for all. 

     For our Easter message today, I want us to focus on the fact that since Jesus has been raised from the dead, those of us who are in Christ will one day rise and receive a glorified body like unto the risen body of the Lord Jesus. 

     Those who pass away before the coming of the Lord go to be with Him in the place that He has prepared for us in Heaven. We know this because the Bible tells us to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. 

     The Bible also makes it clear that one day, we will receive a glorified body like the glorified body of the Lord Jesus when He rose from the grave. We read this is Philippians 3:21 that states, "Who shall change our vile body, that it might be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself."

     Because Jesus is risen, all believers will receive a glorified body that is free from the hardship and decay that is part of our current body. Paul tells us a lot about this in I Corinthians 15. Beginning at verse 50, Paul tells us that when Jesus returns in His Second Advent, those who are already with Him and those who are left on the earth will instantaneously receive a glorified body. Our new bodies, according to Paul, will never perish. They will never wear out. We will have a powerful body that is fashioned for us by the Lord so that we can live with Him forever when He comes to rule and reign upon the earth. 

     We know that since we will have a glorified body like the risen Lord that certain things are true. Those who knew Jesus recognized Him. So, we know that we will be able to recognize one another in the glorified state. Jesus' body was substantial. He was able to be touched by Mary and by Thomas. Ours will be as well. Jesus was able to go through material substances. We see this in John 20:19. His body was the same yet different. Ours will be that way as well because we will be transformed by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

     Jesus died on the cross and bore our sins so that our sins could be forgiven. Sin was dealt with on the cross, and the consequences of sin were dealt with at the resurrection. Death has been defeated. 

     Lets consider what all of this really means. Those who have put their faith and trust in the crucified and risen Lord do not need to fear death. When we die, we go immediately to be with Jesus. Those of us in Christ plagued by bodies that have caused us pain will one day receive a body of health and vitality freed from pain and illness. We never have to worry about anything harming us, and we need not worry about passing away. 

     Because Jesus Christ is risen, we shall rise. We will be reunited forever and forever with those whom we have loved on this earth. All creation shall be restored. 

     None of this is possible because of anything that anyone of us has done. It is only possible because of what the second Adam the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us. Through Adam, sin and death came. Through Jesus, we have redemption and eternal life. 

     You can have eternal life through Jesus. He has made it available to everyone everywhere. He calls on you to turn from sin and ask Him for forgiveness. Trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord believing in your heart that He has been raised from the dead, and you will be redeemed. I urge you to find new life in Jesus Christ today. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     I wanted to let you know that things are going better at work. I thank you for your prayers in this regard. 

     Let us all pray that many will come to know Jesus during this Easter season. Let us pray for those in Bangladesh and Turkmenistan for our prayer focus countries this week. 

     Keep praying for peace in the world. Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Libya, Haiti, Sudan, Syria and Yemen all need our prayers right now. 

     Pray concerning the bridge collapse in Baltimore. Pray that God will comfort those who lost loved ones. Pray that shipping can be restored soon. 

     Next week, we will get back to our series on the names of God. I will post the verses on Monday. I will post the final installment of the Minor Prophets book midweek. May God bless you all. 

Good Friday

     This is the day that Jesus went to the cross. He was tried, accused and nailed to the tree. While Jesus was on the cross, those who were His enemies mocked and scorned Him. Even as they did this, Jesus asked the Father to forgive them. 

     Jesus died on the cross in order that we might be forgiven of our sins. The Bible says that all have sinned and none are righteous. We are like sheep that have gone astray. 

     Jesus came to redeem us. He is the Good Shepherd that went after the lost sheep. He lived a holy and sinless life so that He could be the spotless Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. 

     While on the cross, Jesus bore our sins. I Peter 2:24 says, "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed."

     Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. He did for us what we could not do. Because of what Jesus did on the cross and through His resurrection, salvation and forgiveness of sins is available to all. Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

Maundy Thursday

      Today is Maundy Thursday on the Christian calendar. On this day, Jesus brought His disciples into the Upper Room in order to give them His final teachings before He went to Calvary. 

     At this time, Jesus washed His disciples feet. This was an act that servants normally performed. However, Jesus did it for His disciples. The reason that He did this was to demonstrate that as His followers, we are to serve one another. No one is to consider themselves better or superior to the other. Jesus said in John 13:15-17, "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."

     Part of following Jesus means to serve others as He served others. We do this by helping others and by loving this world as Jesus did. We are to help other believers and the larger world in the best way that we can to help people have better lives and to experience the love of Jesus in their hearts. 

     On Maundy Thursday, Jesus gave a new commandment. John 13:34-35 reads, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this will everyone know that you are My disciples, if you love one another."

     Love is what the Christian religion is all about. We are to love God with all that is within us. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are to love this world. All that we do should be with the motive of love. 

     When we demonstrate love for one another as believers in Jesus, the world will know that we follow Jesus because Jesus was love incarnate. We will draw people to Jesus when they see His love in us flowing out to others. 

Exploring The Minor Prophets -- Vol. 2. -- Part 5

 

Zechariah

     I'm going to state at the beginning of this chapter that I think that the book of Zechariah is a difficult book to understand. For instance, in chapter one, the prophet has a vision of a rider on a horse with different colored horses behind him. The prophet asks who these are. He is told that they are the ones sent out by God to patrol the earth. The question remains as to why God needs horses to patrol the earth. In chapter six there are more horses patrolling the earth. There are a lot of unusual and mystical things like this in the book of Zechariah.

     With that said, we do know something about the prophet himself. He ministered around 520 BC. He gave his message during the time when the Persians had allowed the people of Israel to return to the land following their captivity by the Babylonians. In addition to being a prophet, Zechariah was also a priest. 

     There are three things that I want us to learn from this book. The first of these we find in Zechariah 7:8-10 that reads, "So once again, I the Lord All-Powerful tell you to see that justice is done and be kind and merciful to one another. Don't mistreat widows, or orphans, or foreigners, or anyone who is poor, and stop making plans to hurt each other."

     This is what God expects from His people. This is what God expects from those who are leaders. Justice is not to be perverted. The justice system is to be fair for rich and for poor alike. Fairness is to be a part of all business dealings and interpersonal relationships. No one in a position of power should use that power to take advantage of another person. We are to be kind and merciful. This reminds me of Paul saying to be kind and tenderhearted to one another. 

     God looks in an unfavorable fashion on those people or nations who mistreat those who are vulnerable within society. Jesus called them the least of those among us. God cares about the poor, and He expects them to be taken care of. We need to lift one another up and help one another. 

     The second thing that I want to point out is that Zechariah contains a Messianic prophecy about the ministry of the Lord Jesus. In chapter nine verse 10, we read that the Messiah was to come into Jerusalem in the humble manner of riding on a donkey. At that time, the people would shout and rejoice.  

     This prophecy from Zechariah was completely fulfilled at the time of Jesus' Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday. The disciples of Jesus brought Him a donkey. Jesus rode into the city on the donkey. The people laid palm leaves in His path and shouted Hosanna.

     Fulfilled prophecies such as this one are proof that the Bible is reliable. We can know that since the prophecies of Jesus' first Advent were fulfilled, we can count on the fact that the ones concerning His Second Advent will be completely fulfilled as well. 

     This leads us to our third point from Zechariah. The prophet tells us something of the coming reign of the Messiah Jesus upon this earth. 

     In chapters 11-14, Zechariah lets us know that Jesus will one day defeat all of the evil that is in the world. He will return and stand on the Mount of Olives. In 14:9, Zechariah tells us Jesus will reign and be worshipped throughout the earth. 

     Paul tells us about this in Philippians 2. When Jesus returns, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. 

     There are many prophecies in the Bible telling about the return of the Lord Jesus. He told us that one day He would return to judge the world. 

     We don't know when Jesus will return. Jesus said that no one knows the day nor the hour. However, Jesus told us to be prepared should He come at any moment. While we wait for the Lord Jesus, let us obey that Lord and do as much good in the world as we possible can. Let us spread His message to all. 

Verses For The Week

 Psalm 150:6 -- "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord."

I John 2:2 -- "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."

Weekend Sermon -- Palm Sunday

      Thank you for reading the sermon again this week. I am thankful for the opportunity to post the message each week. We have been in a series of messages dealing with the names and titles of God found primarily in the Old Testament. This week and next, we are taking a pause from that series so that I can post messages dealing with the events of Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. 

     Palm Sunday was my favorite date on the Christian calendar when I was a boy. The reason that I enjoyed it so much back then is that we always had a parade with palm branches during Sunday school. My parents and I also often went to a church in the large city to my northeast where they had an Easter play that included Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. They had a real donkey bring the actor playing Jesus ride from the back of the auditorium to the stage. As a young boy, I thought that it was fun having a donkey in the church. 

     When we consider Palm Sunday, we most often remember that the people took the palm leaves and laid them in Jesus path as He rode into Jerusalem. We remember the shouts of Hosanna. During Palm Sunday, it is important for us to remember that Jesus is worthy of praise because He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The religious leaders tried to get Jesus to stop the people's praise. Jesus told them that if the people stopped praising Him, the rocks would cry out in praise. 

     It is important to remember to bring praise and honor to the Lord Jesus for who He is and for what He has done. There is another part to the events that occurred on Palm Sunday that sometimes we don't think about. 

     After Jesus rode into Jerusalem, He went to the area of the Temple. What He saw there caused Him to become angry. He saw the moneychangers in the Temple and those who were buying and selling. Jesus drove out the sellers and overturned the tables of the moneylenders. He overturned the tables of those who were selling doves. Jesus said, "My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers."

     I believe that Jesus became angry and drove these people out because the money changers were cheating the people who were coming to the Temple to worship. I also believe that He was just disgusted with the entire spectacle of buying and selling and irreverence that He was witnessing. 

    I also believe that what we read in Matthew also lets us know why Jesus cleansed the Temple. After He drove out the moneychangers, the Gospel says that the lame and the blind came to Him and He healed them. Those who were sick were often excluded by the religious leaders of the day. They were looked down on as those who were rejected by God. Jesus wanted them and the religious leaders to know that everyone was important to God and God loved everyone. 

     What can we learn from this incident of Jesus cleansing the Temple? First of all, I believe that there is too much focus on money and material things going on in a lot of churches right now, especially in my country.  You can't turn on Christian TV or radio without hearing most going into long sessions of wanting to get money. I understand that money is necessary to operate, but it has all become excessive. Also, so many are preaching in the name of Jesus and then amassing large fortunes. This is a big turn off to those who are not Christians. Even they know that this isn't what Jesus did, and this isn't something that Jesus would approve of. 

     I believe that we can also learn that our focus in church needs to be on worship, praise and prayer. Jesus wants His church to be a place where we commune with Him. We seek His guidance and we cast our cares upon Him because He cares for us. We need to maintain worshipful reverence in the house of the Lord. 

     Finally, the Lord's house is to be for all people. No one is excluded from the love, grace and mercy of the Lord. Jesus made it clear that whoever would come to Him, He would not cast them aside. He said that all who are weary and heavy laden should come to Him. Jesus made it quite clear that He loved and cared about everyone and whoever called upon the name of the Lord would be saved. 

     As you celebrate Palm Sunday, give praise to Jesus for all that He has done. And remember that one day, He is coming again to rule and reign. His kingdom will have no end. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I am doing some better with my health. Please pray that I will keep improving. Also, the weather service is predicting some strong winds for my area in the next few days. Please pray that it will not be bad and cause problems. Thank you. 

     Please continue to pray for peace in the world. Pray for peace in Israel, Gaza, Sudan, Haiti, Ukraine, Yemen, Syria and other war-torn places in this world. 

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

     Next week, the blog will have a busy schedule. I will post the verses on Monday. I will post the next section of the Minor Prophets book midweek. We will have posts on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. I will post the Easter message on Saturday. May God bless you all. Amen. 

Exploring the Minor Prophets -- Vol. 2 -- Part 4

 

Haggai

     Haggai is one of the smaller books in the Bible. It contains only two chapters. Nevertheless, there is much for us to learn from this small book. 

     Haggai is a prophet whose ministry occurred during the time when the people of Israel had returned to their land after spending 70 years in captivity. When the people returned to the land, they initially rebuilt the walls of the city of Jerusalem under the leadership of Nehemiah. 

     The next order of business was to rebuild the Temple which had been destroyed by the Chaldeans. During this time, a man named Zerubbabel was the governor of the area. 

     While the people were in captivity, they got idolatry out of their systems so to speak. However, they still had need of spiritual improvement. Nehemiah had to get the people to care about each other and to take care of one another. Nehemiah and Ezra the priest taught and exhorted the people so that they stayed on the right track spiritually. 

     One thing that the returning exiles failed to do was to get about the business of rebuilding the house of the Lord. As we read in Haggai's message, they were rebuilding their own houses, yet they had neglected the rebuilding of the Temple for worship. God was not pleased about being left out in the people's efforts and desires. He commissioned Haggai to tell the people to get to rebuilding the Temple. 

     In our lives, I believe that we fail to put God and the things of God first in our lives. We get all caught up in the affairs of our day to day lives, and we forget about what the Lord wants us to do for Him in this world. 

     I find that there are many who claim to be Christians who don't have their faith as the most prominent aspect of their lives. It is something that is just one more thing to them. Going to church is more or less a type of social activity. If something else comes up, the things of God are put on the back burner. 

     Another way to put it is that many don't have Jesus as Lord. He is not the all and all of life. He is not at the core. He is not what everything else centers around.

     To my understanding, being a follower of Jesus means putting Him first and foremost.  Following Jesus means asking what would Jesus do in each situation of life. It means following the will and the way of the Lord for our lives. 

     Haggai told the people that they needed to get their priorities in order. The Temple needed to get built. 

    Haggai went on to tell the people something very important. In Haggai 1:13, the Lord tells the people that He is with them. When they decided to go and start to rebuild the house of the Lord, God would be with them and help them to be successful in the work. He would guide them and lead them in the way that they needed to go. 

     That's just how it works in our walk with the Lord today. When we step out to do what God wants and when we put Him first in our lives, the Lord Jesus will be with us and go with us. He will never leave us, and He will never forsake us. With can know His peaceful presence within our hearts. 

     Whatever God tells you to do, He will help you to accomplish it.. You aren't out there alone. He gives the strength and the wisdom to do His work in the world. 

     There is one final thing that I would like to point out from the book of Haggai. Haggai the prophet was an encourager. He provided a message of hope to the people and to their leaders.

      All of us at some time in our lives need some encouragement. And, we need to encourage others. I know several people that could have done more than what they have done in life if they had had more encouragement when they were younger. 

     Give a word of hope and encouragement to others when you have the chance. I know that it will make a great deal of difference in someone's life. 

Verses For The Week

 Psalm 73:23 -- "Nevertheless, I am continually with you, You have taken hold of my right hand."

Isaiah 58:11 -- "The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail."

Weekend Sermon -- The God of Justice

    Thank you for taking the time to read the message today. I hope that you are all doing very well. I am feeling better as for as my arthritis is concerned. Thank you for your continued prayers. 

     This week, we are continuing with our series on the names of God found primarily in the Old Testament. For today's message, I want us to focus on the fact that God is called the God of justice. In the Hebrew, God of justice is Elohei Mishpat. We see God called by this title in Isaiah 30:18 that reads, "Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is God of justice, blessed are all who wait for Him. 

     In addition to this verse from Isaiah, we read in verses including Psalm 11:7 that God loves justice. Deuteronomy 32:4 tells us that one of the characteristics of God's nature is that He is a just God. Many other verses in the Bible tells us that God is a God of justice, and He is a God who is concerned that justice is carried out. 

     In the Bible, we can see in various places that God is concerned about justice. For instance, one of the best examples is when David had Uriah killed in order to conceal his sin with Bathsheba. Nathan told David a story about a wealthy man who took and killed a poor man's pet lamb in order to feed his friends. David was outraged at this injustice. Nathan said to David, "You are that man." God demanded justice for what happened to Uriah. God also demanded justice when Ahab used his power in an oppressive way to kill Naboth and to take his families vineyard. 

    Throughout the Scriptures, we see that God is concerned about justice especially that those who are oppressed should receive justice. One important passage that expresses this is Jeremiah 22:3 that states in part, "Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place." God demands that the vulnerable members of society be treated fairly and equally. He will bring judgment on those who oppress others. 

     We also read about the justice of God in Zechariah 7:8-10. This passage states, "Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart."

     Knowing that God is a God of justice and that he wants justice to be done for the oppressed and the vulnerable, what are we to do. Amos 5:24 tells us, "Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." In other words, we as followers of the Lord God Almighty need to do something about the injustice and oppression in this world. 

     There is a lot of injustice and oppression in this world. Right now, there are millions who live on very little. They have barely enough to eat, and they are dying from treatable diseases. This is due in large part because of the oppression of the poor in their wages and by the effects of years of colonial oppression. There are wealthy corporations all over the world who pay people a pittance for hard labor while they enrich themselves and their shareholders. Drug companies make billions in profits while people die unable to afford life-saving medications. This is all wrong, and followers of the God of justice should take a stand against these and other injustices in the world. 

     The first step is to speak out against injustice. Advocate for policies that promote help and justice for the poor and for the oppressed. Speak out in the name of the Lord Jesus against racism and other oppression. Stand with those who are hurting and put down by those in positions of power who are misusing their power. Work to bring those to power who will govern, lead and do what is fair, just and good in this world. 

     Jesus preached a message of liberation. He said that He came to set the oppressed free. If we would follow the message of Jesus, we would do unto others as we would have done unto us. We would seek to help the poor and oppressed. We would all seek to do good and to love our neighbor as ourselves. When we do this, and when we persuade others to follow the true path of Jesus, we are helping to bring justice in the midst of an unjust world. 

     Jesus who is the incarnation of the God of justice will come one day to bring ultimate justice to the world. When Jesus returns, He will right every wrong, and He will end every form of injustice. Jesus said the last will be first and the first will be last. Even so Lord Jesus come. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I need you to pray about something please. Last week, I thought things were going better at work. I was wrong. I must find a new job as soon as possible. Please pray that I can find at least a somewhat decent job really fast. I am tired of getting screamed at and being made fun of because I have a bad leg and can't walk that fast. Thank you for your prayers. 

     Please pray for peace. Pray for a ceasefire in Gaza. Pray for peace in that whole region of the world. Pray for peace in Yemen, Syria, Libya, Sudan and of course keep praying about the situation in Ukraine. 

     Pray for those who can't find homes, jobs or enough to eat. Let us all work to help others and pray that the systems that cause injustice might be changed in the name of Jesus. 

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

     I just want to remind you that I am currently posting the second half of the Exploring the Minor Prophets book midweek. I will be posting the chapter on Haggai this week. I will post the verses on Monday, and we will continue with our current series for the sermon next week. May God bless you all. 

     

Exploring the Minor Prophets -- Vol. 2 -- Part 3

 

Zephaniah

     Zephaniah is a prophet who gives us plenty of information about who he was and when he lived. Zephaniah begins his book with a short genealogy that traces his ancestry back to King Hezekiah. Zephaniah ministered during the reign of Josiah. 

     Like Nahum, Zephaniah tells us that Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire will be destroyed. Since that occurred, it is a verification of this prophet's ministry. 

     The judgment of the Day of the Lord is the primary emphasis found in this book. Because of the sinfulness of the people, a day of reckoning was coming. We know from the historical record that in 586 BC, not many years after the prophet's time of ministry, the Babylonians took the people of Judah into captivity. The walls of the city of Jerusalem were destroyed, and the Temple was destroyed as well. 

      God will only allow evil to reach a certain point. We see this throughout the Bible including the cataclysmic events that took place during the time of Noah and the ark. 

     The Bible tells us that evil and sin will get worse and worse as we approach the end of the age. Finally, the Lord Jesus will come to judge the living and the dead. He will rule and reign in righteousness, and He will restore all things to the Edenic state. 

     One of the points in Zephaniah is something that I would like to focus on. In Chapter 1, the prophet deals with syncretism. The religious leaders were trying to worship the True and Living God while at the same time, they were also worshipping other gods. They were adding in false teachings and ideas into the proper worship of the Lord. 

     We see this same thing happening in our own day. I've seen churches having services where they mention the earth goddess and all other types of idolatry. It is something that God detests. He is the only God. Above Him, there is no other. We should have no other gods before Him. 

     Even though God was going to bring about judgment, He intended to preserve a remnant of the people.   Some would go into captivity. There, they would learn to forsake the worship of false gods and idols. They would worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob alone. After the people were in captivity for roughly 70 years, they came back into the land. The walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt under the leadership of Nehemiah. The people were under the guidance of Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra and Zerubbabel. 

     Even though we live in a time where there is a lot going on that is opposed to the ways of the Lord, there are still those who are faithful followers of the Lord Jesus. They are all over this world doing good and telling people about Jesus' love. 

    The Lord is preserving a people unto Himself. When Jesus comes, there will be those here  who will rise to meet Him. They will join with those from Heaven, and we will all follow Jesus as He comes to earth to stop evil and to rule and reign in righteousness. He will bring lasting peace and justice to the earth. 

     

Verses For The Week

 James 1:17 -- "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

Luke 12:32 -- "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

Weekend Sermon -- The God of All Comfort

      Thank you for reading the message today. I hope that you are all doing well. This was a very hard week, but the Lord helped me to make it through. I thank the Lord for His help and for the opportunity to post the message this week. 

     For several weeks now, we've been looking at the names and titles for God in the Old Testament. I am going to change up a little bit today. I want us to examine a title for God found in the New Testament. I was thinking about this passage during this week, and I believe that the Lord wanted me to address this in our message today. 

    II Corinthians 1:3-5 reads, "Praise be to the the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ."

     There are actually three different ways that God is referred to in this passage. He is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is God and the Son of God. God is the Father of compassion. His great compassion for all people is clearly demonstrated through the work and ministry of the Lord Jesus.  

     God is the God of all comfort. This verse makes it clear that God's comfort comes to us through the Lord Jesus. Jesus is always with us. He gives us His presence and He gives us His peace. The Lord brings comfort to us in the midst of our troubles, trials and problems. 

     I know that the Lord has provided His comfort to me this week. As I've mentioned here on the blog previously, things are pretty difficult at my job right now. It used to be fun going to work there, but now it is really hard to get up and go to work in the morning. There is a lot happening there that really takes a lot of the joy out of life. This week has been especially hard. However, I was able to make it through, because I felt that the Lord Jesus was always with Him. He was continually reminding me of His love. He let me feel in my heart that I was important to Him and that I mattered to Him. Knowing that Jesus loved me helped me to make through the week. 

     There have been other times that I have felt the the comfort of the Lord. I've had a lot of health problems in my life. In the church that I went to as a young man, those what were sick a lot were looked down upon because they were viewed as either lacking faith or as having done something wrong. For a while, I thought about not even going to church anymore. However, two things happened that I know the Lord brought about to bring comfort in my life and help me to stay on course with Him. First of all, I found two great ministers to listen to on the television who preached about hope. They preached about the love, compassion, kindness and goodness of the Lord. They let me see that not everyone who believed in Jesus was like those who went to the church of my youth. Also, about that time, the Lord allowed me to find my friend Toby who brought love and healing into my heart. God provided His comfort in troubled times. 

     Recently, I've had some really bad dreams where Toby is lost and I can't find Him. I was really upset and asked the Lord to help me so that I would know that Toby was OK in heaven. The next two nights I had dreams that let me know that Toby was OK. I believe that this was the Lord bringing comfort to my heart because He is the God of compassion and comfort. 

    Now, God does not comfort us in troubles just so that we can be OK. He helps us and then expects us to help others. We are to be the agents in the world that bring God's love, healing, compassion and comfort to others. That is what those two ministers I just mentioned did. That is what we are to do. 

    For instance, I know that the Lord comforted to me when others who said that they followed Him were so mean to me. That is why I try to always tell you in these messages that Jesus loves you. He is not against you. He cares about you, and He cares about all of your anxieties and problems. He will never leave you, and He will never forsake you. You are of great value to God. I didn't hear things like this growing up in the church we attended. I want to make sure that you know that Jesus loves you. I also want to tell you that just because you are ill or have chronic health problems doesn't mean that you aren't a good Christian or are a terrible sinner. We live in a world where bad things happen. Jesus loves you just the way you are. Never forget that. 

    I hope that when you are going through hard times that you will pray and ask Jesus to be with you in a special way. Ask Him to provide you with the comfort that only He can give. I know that He will be with you, and He will make you aware of His presence. He will bring friends or some means to bring good things and hope into your life. Then, when you have felt the comfort of the Lord, be a source of comfort, hope and healing to others that you know so that they will know that Jesus loves and cares about them too. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I want to thank everyone for their prayers. I am not having the best time at work, but God is seeing me through. I am feeling a lot better, and I thank the Lord for this. 

     Please keep praying for peace. The Israel and Gaza situation is so terrible. People in Gaza need to get aid. Pray for peace. Pray that people will get help. Pray that the hostages will be released. 

     Pray for peace in the other troubled regions of the world. Sudan, Libya, Yemen, Ukraine and Syria all need our prayers. 

     Pray for those in California dealing with excess rainfall and snowfall. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, I feel that we should once again focus on Western Sahara this week. Let us all pray for those living in Comoros. 

     Next week, we will continue with our current sermon series. I will post the verses on Monday, and I will post the next section of the book on the Minor Prophets midweek. May God bless you all. 

Exploring The Minor Prophets -- Vol. 2 -- Part 2 -- Habakkuk

  Habakkuk

     I have a long history with the book of Habakkuk. The first sermon that I preached many years ago now was based on the book of Habakkuk. The messages in this book are as relevant and important today as when they were originally written. 

     Habakkuk was a prophet in the Kingdom of Judah. When Habakkuk was brining his message, the tribes of the Northern Kingdom had already been defeated by the Assyrians. The Chaldeans from Babylon were establishing themselves as the major power in the region. 

     Habakkuk was a prophet who was concerned about justice and righteousness. His book begins with a cry to the Lord about the poor spiritual state of the people. He was concerned about the level of violence in the land and that justice had become perverted. People didn't care about obeying the law anymore. 

     Isn't this similar to our own day and age? I know that it is where I live. There is a great deal of violence. Mass shootings, assaults and various other crimes are on the rise. People take other people's lives or harm others without the slightest bit of remorse. People don't seem to want to have anything to do with God and God's ways anymore.

     Habakkuk wanted to know when God was going to do something about the unrighteousness and injustice in the land. God gave an answer to Habakkuk, but Habakkuk wondered about what God had to say to him. 

     God informed Habakkuk that He was well aware of the situation. There was nothing getting past the Lord's observation. The Lord was preparing to use the Chaldeans as a means of judgment upon the people due to the fact that they weren't really following Him anymore. 

     The Chaldeans, also called the Babylonians, were a rising power in Habakkuk's day. They were know for their fierceness in battle and for their extravagant sinful lifestyle of excess. 

     Hearing that God was going to use the Babylonians to bring punishment upon the people sent Habakkuk into a state of disbelief. How can this be? The prophet could not understand how it was possible that God could use a people worse than his own in this way. Habakkuk was once again left wondering what God was doing.

     The prophet's questions and reactions to what God was doing are similar to our reactions. We often wonder why God does x, y or z in our lives and in the affairs of the world. One of our major questions is often why God does not bring judgment on those who are doing so much evil in the world. Why is God letting people get away with harming others? Why are the rich allowed to keep oppressing the poor? Why do bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people? Why does God allow so much misery and suffering in the world? People go hungry when there is plenty of food. There are people dying every day from treatable diseases, but they can't access the care that they need. 

     We all, at least I do, have a lot of questions. And there is nothing wrong with asking God why He is doing this or that. There is no place in Habakkuk where it states that God is angry with the prophet. It is a natural part of being a human to question and wonder why. 

     Sometimes, God will provide the answer to us in His word or through the work of the Holy Spirit in or lives. Ultimately, we are not going to know the full scope of things until Jesus returns or when we go to meet Him. We have to trust that the Lord is good and working to perform His will in His way. 

     Just to give a couple of other examples about questioning, Asaph and John the Baptist had questions. Asaph was a musician who wrote at least 12 of the Psalms. He couldn't understand why the wicked prospered. He was so upset about this, he almost lost his faith. But, he didn't. He came to understand that God is in control and will work all things out. 

     John the Baptist sent a delegation of his disciples to Jesus to ask if Jesus really was the Messiah, or should they be looking for someone else. He had questions, and he had heard the voice of God saying of Jesus this is My Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.

     Sometimes when we ask questions of the Lord, we don't like the answers. This can be a problem if we don't have Habakkuk's attitude. He trusted in the fact that God would always do the right thing. He never accused God of doing wrong. And the prophet never lost faith in God.

     We see the prophet's response to God in the final chapter of this book. The prophet says, "The Lord is in His holy Temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him." God is sovereign. His will will be accomplished. Everything is ultimately working for the good. 

     Habakkuk 3:17-18 tells us about what Habakkuk's attitude and what ours should be. "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, although the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."

     Ultimately, Jesus will work everything out. No matter what comes into our lives we know that one day we will be with Jesus. He is our peace, and one day He will bring justice, peace and righteous to this world. 

Verses For The Week

 Ephesians 5:2 -- "Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

John 15:15 -- "No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you."

The Weekend Sermon -- The God of Knowledge

      Thank you for reading the message this week. I hope that you are doing great. I am still not where I should be in regard to my health, but I am better than I was earlier in the week. 

     Today, we are continuing with our series where we are looking at the some of the names and titles for God found in the Old Testament.  This week, I want us to examine a title found for God directly in a verse in I Samuel, but the truth of the title is found throughout the Bible. 

     I Samuel 2:3 states, "Do not boast so proudly, or let arrogant words come out of your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and actions are weighed by Him." This verse is part of a section that is the prayer that Hannah made when she left the child Samuel at the tabernacle because she had dedicated Samuel to the Lord. The God of Knowledge is "El Deah" in Hebrew. 

     This title for God is meant to let us know that God knows about everything that is occurring in the world. It speaks of the attribute of God that we call God's omniscience. God has all knowledge of what is the universe that He has made. There is nothing that is possible for God not to know. He knows what has happened in the past. He knows all that is occurring now, and He knows what will happen in the future. God's knowledge of all also includes the fact that He knows what is in the heart of the person. We read about this in I Samuel 16:7 that reads in part, "for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."

     This verse is in the context of Samuel looking for someone to eventually replace Saul as king. Samuel saw all the older sons of Jesse, but God said that none of them was the chosen one. David was the one who was chosen. Outwardly, he didn't appear to be kingly material. However, God saw David's heart. He knew what David was really all about. 

     So, what does the fact that God is the God of Knowledge mean to us? First of all, God knows all about us and cares about us. Jesus tells us about this in Luke 12. In this passage, Jesus tells His followers not to worry about the things of this life. Jesus said that the Father in Heaven knows all about the things that we need. Jesus also said that God knows the number of all of the hairs on our heads. God sees every sparrow that falls to the ground, so He definitely knows what is going on with the humans that He has created. 

     This knowledge of the Lord should give us comfort to know that God understands what we are going through at all times. He knows what we are going through, and He knows how to lead us through what we are going through so that His will and way are accomplished perfectly. 

     We also can take comfort in the fact that God knows the real us. So many people in this world make judgments against us because of what they think they see. They judge by appearance and by factors that the world thinks are important like wealth, education etc. People cannot look at the heart and make a right judgment that is why Jesus said, "judge not lest ye be judged."  Only God knows what truly is in a person. He is the only one that can understand a person's true motives. 

     Many of us feel misunderstood by this world. We can know this, Jesus loves us. The Lord knows what we are really all about and He cares about us. Don't let others get you down. Lean on Jesus. 

    Finally, the fact that God is the God of Knowledge has implications for the final judgment. Luke 8:17 tells us, "For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light." God knows all. Some people think that they have or are getting away with wrong doing. However, God knows what they are up to and how they have harmed others. There is a day of reckoning coming. When Jesus returns, He will bring about justice. He will judge, and His judgment is just. Evil will never triumph, because Jesus is Lord. 

     God knows all. He knows and He cares. Trust in His knowledge and wisdom realizing that His way is always right and good. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying that I will feel better. Also, pray that I can find a better job that will not be so physically taxing. 

     Keep praying for those suffering from natural disasters. California needs our prayers. 

     Pray for peace in the war torn areas of this world. Pray for peace in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Syria, Yemen, Sudan and everywhere that needs peace. Also, pray for the safety of those on the ships trying to make it through the Red Sea. Pray that attacks on shipping will not be successful. 

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

     Next week, we will continue with our current sermon series. On Monday, I will post the verses. I will post the next part of the Minor Prophets book midweek. May God bless you all. 

Exploring The Minor Prophets -- Vol. 2 -- Part 1-- Nahum

 

Nahum

     We saw when we were studying the lessons from Jonah that God was merciful to even a brutal kingdom like the Assyrians. When Jonah preached God's message to the people of the Assyrian capital of Nineveh, the people heeded the prophet's message and repented.

     We see in the book of Nahum that this turn to the True and Living God was not long-lasting. The people of Nineveh returned to their old ways. This time, God had had enough. 

     Nahum brings a prophetic word that the Assyrian Empire will come to an end. Written before these events transpired, this prophecy was completed fulfilled. The next empire to come on the scene was the powerful empire of the Babylonians also called the Chaldeans. 

     There are a couple of things that I want to point out from Nahum. Just because someone repents and comes to follow the Lord, that does not mean that they will carry on with the ways of the Lord. The people of Nineveh repented, but they turned aside. They either did not pass their faith along, or they just turned back to their old false gods. 

     This same type of thing happened when Josiah was King of Judah. He was a righteous king who led his people back to the worship of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. However, almost immediately after Josiah's reign ended, the people went right back into their idolatry. 

     As followers of the Lord Jesus, we have to guard our hearts. We have to make sure that we are keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus and that we are not looking to the left, right or behind us. 

     I believe that there is a moment in time when we come to faith in Jesus. At the same time, following Jesus is a day by day decision. We have to get up each day and decide to keep following the Lord. A glorious reward is in store for those who remain faithful to the Lord Jesus. 

     Another point that I believe that we can really see in Nahum is that God will bring about judgment and justice.  God does not operate on our schedule He does things in His own way in accordance with His own will. No one is getting away with anything so to speak. 

     I know and you know that there is a lot of evil and a lot of evil people in this world. It often seems like wickedness is going completely unpunished. Good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. 

     We have to remember this. The Bible tells us first of all that one day everyone will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. The Lord Jesus will judge what people have done. Also, Jesus will one day return and bring justice and goodness to the entire universe. He will create a new heaven and new earth where righteousness dwells. Good will always triumph over evil because God is in control of all things. 

     Finally, the book of Nahum demonstrates the reliability of God's word. The prophecy about Nineveh came to pass. It demonstrates the reliability of the Bible. 

     Fulfilled prophecy in the Bible demonstrates that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the true God. What He says comes to pass. One of the the things that the Gospel writers used to demonstrate that Jesus was the Messiah was the number of Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in the person and work of the Lord Jesus. 

     The ministry of Jesus was verified by His own prophecy. He said that the Temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed. One stone would not be left standing on another. This happened in 70 AD. What Jesus said came to pass. 

     Because of the words of Jesus that were fulfilled, we can have confidence that what He has promised those who believe in Him will come to pass. He will redeem those who come to Him, and He has gone to prepare a place for those who love Him. He will come again just as He said. Jesus is the same yesterday, and today and forever. 

Update and Prayer Request

      I did something with the posting of the Minor Prophets book that I can't believe I did. I have things out of order, so I have to do some correcting. Tomorrow, I will start posting the chapter on Nahum. I will take down the post on Habakkuk, and then post it again after Nahum so that we are back in the order that they appear in the Old Testament.  I also want to let you know that the sermon for the week will be posted on Saturday. 

     With that said, I want to let you know that everything is still somewhat tentative at this point. I am not doing very well with my health right now. Please pray that I will start to feel better. I was doing a lot better for a couple of weeks, and I thought that I was moving upward. However, it is not the case right now. I lot of the problem is that at my job I feel that I am about to be worked to death. I have to find something else soon or I really feel that something bad is going to happen in regard to my health. Please keep praying, and I thank you for your prayers. Also, thank you all for reading the blog. 

Verses For The Week

 Psalm 119:55 -- "I remember Your name in the night, O Lord, and keep Your law."

Matthew 24:44 -- "Therefore you must also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

Weekend Sermon -- I Am

      Thank you for once again reading the sermon for the week. I hope that you have all had a good week. I am feeling better, and I have been having a good week. 

     This week, we are continuing with our series exploring the names and titles of God found in the Old Testament. In today's message, I want to us to focus on a more familiar name for God. It is a name that He provided for Himself. 

     After Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt, they stayed in that area and the number of the Hebrews multiplied. Over the course of the years, the Egyptians subjected the Hebrews to slavery. For hundreds of years, God's people remained in bondage. God heard the cries of His people for freedom, and He provided a means for their deliverance. 

     Moses was the man that God would use to bring about the deliverance of the people from slavery. Moses was adopted as a baby by Pharaoh's daughter. One day, Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave. Moses intervened and killed the Egyptian. Moses then fled to save his own life. 

     While Moses was in the desert tending flocks, he saw a burning bush that was not consumed by the fire. God spoke to Moses from the burning bush. God told Moses that he was to go to Pharaoh and tell him to let the people go. Moses asked God who he should say had sent him. God said, I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites, 'I am has sent me to you.'"

     What does this name for God signify? First of all, it speaks to the fact that God is eternal. He is. He was not created. He had no beginning, and He will have no end. He is not dependent on anyone nor on anything for His existence. On the contrary, all that is is dependent upon Him for its creation and its existence.

     This title for God also speaks to the fact that there is nothing nor anyone greater than or higher than God. He is all powerful. He is the only True and Living God. 

     God was telling Moses to make sure that the Israelites and the Egyptians knew that the God and King of all the universe was the one that was sending Him. That should have made the Egyptians tremble, but they were stubborn right up until the time when the armies of Pharaoh were drowned in the Red Sea. 

     There is something else interesting about the title of I am for God. Jesus uses this title for Himself in the Gospel of John. In John 8:58 Jesus said to the religious leaders, "Before Abraham was, I am". They knew exactly what Jesus was saying. He was equating Himself with the I am who revealed Himself to Moses. Jesus was stating that He was God come in the flesh. The religious leaders took up stones to stone Him, but Jesus escaped from their midst. 

     There are seven other occurrences of the title I am associated with Jesus in the Gospel of John. For instance, Jesus said, "I am the Good Shepherd", "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life", " I am the Door" etc. The use of this phrase is Jesus way of telling the people then and telling us today that He is God. Jesus was fully God and fully man. 

     So, what is the application of this for us? There are three things that I want to point out. First of all, the God of the universe has revealed Himself to us and He cares about us. To me, it is a comforting thought to know that the Supreme Being who is above all and has all power cares about me and is looking our for me. Just as God cared about His people who were suffering in bondage all those years ago, God cares about our needs in the here and now.  This leads me to the fact that I always find myself to be in complete amazement that this God who is the I am cares about a creature like me. He is so great and I am so small, yet He cares about me, you and all of His creation. 

     The second thing that I want to point out is that since God is the Supreme Being there is nothing and no one that will ever be able to ultimately thwart His will and His way. Sometimes it may appear that the forces of evil are getting the upper hand, but God is the Supreme Being. No one can defeat nor thwart Him. His will will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

      Finally, the one who is the I am came in the person of Jesus. He loved us and came to redeem us from our sin in order that we could have a relationship with Him. The God of all creation came in the person of Jesus Christ and died for our sins that we might be redeemed. He offers His pardon and peace to everyone who will believe. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I am feeling a lot better, and I thank you for your prayers. Please pray that I will stay well. 

     Pray for those in California who are suffering as a result of the heavy rains. Pray that they will get the help that they need. 

     Keep praying for peace. Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Yemen and Sudan really need our prayers. 

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

     Next week, we will continue with our current series. I will post the verses on Monday. If you didn't notice, I have started posting the second half of my book about the Minor Prophets. This week, I posted the chapter on Habakkuk. I will post the next chapter this week. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

 Psalm 145:17 -- "The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and faithful in all He does."

Ephesians 5:9 -- "For the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth."

Weekend Sermon -- The Everlasting God

      I want to thank everyone for taking the time to read the message this week. I am doing better with my health, and I hope and pray that you are all doing well. I would like to thank the Lord for giving me the opportunity to post the message this week. 

     Over the course of the last few weeks, we have been engaged in a series of messages on the names and titles of God found in the Old Testament. In the Scriptures, one of the more used titles for God is The everlasting God. In Hebrew, this is El Olam. The first time we see this name for God used is in Genesis 21:33 which reads, "Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God." This name for God is used over 400 times in the Bible. Another example of this usage is in Psalm 90:2 that states, "Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God."

     This title for God lets us know some very important things. For one, this title for God tells us that God is eternal. He is without beginning or end. There was not a time that God did not exist, and there is not a time in the future when God will go out of existence.  Because He is eternal, He has all power to sustain all things. 

    As I've stated many times here on the blog, Jesus is the divine Son of God. He is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity who came in the flesh. As God, Jesus is also the everlasting God. In Revelation 1:8, Jesus is called the Alpha and the Omega. This means the beginning and the end, and it is a reference to the eternal nature of the Son. In Hebrews 13:8 we are told that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever."

     What is the significance of the Lord being the everlasting God for us? It is important for at least three different reasons. As the everlasting God, God is the sustainer of all that there is. If God was not everlasting, there would not be the hope of the continuity of all things. As the everlasting God, all will go according to His will and plan because there will not be a time when the Almighty God will not be in existence to carry out His will and His way in the universe. 

    We also need to realize that the promises that have been given to us by the Lord are dependent on the fact that He is the everlasting God. We are told in verses such as John 3:16 that God will give everlasting life to those who place their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Everlasting life for those of us who believe is only possible if there is an everlasting God. Also, Jesus told us that He has gone to prepare a place for us and that we will be with Him forever if we trust in Him. Jesus is the everlasting God. We can trust in His promises. He has the power to uphold and to do all that He has said and promised.

     Finally, it is important that God is everlasting in order for there to be true justice in the universe. If it was possible for God to come to an end, that would mean that it was within the realm of possibility for those who have done wrong to escape the consequences of their actions. Things would have the possibility of not being brought to account and recompense being made. 

     However, God is the everlasting God. Ultimate justice is secure. We can know that if we trust in the Lord that we will have everlasting life. God will always be in total control of all that is. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please continue to pray that I will keep getting better. I thank you for your prayers. Also, keep praying that I can find a better job.

     Continue to pray for peace in the war torn areas of our world. Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Yemen and Sudan all need our prayers. 

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

 James 1:12 -- "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him."

Hebrews 10:23 -- "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."

Galatians 6:9 -- "Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

Weekend Sermon -- The God Who Sees Me

       Thank you for taking the time to read the message this week. I hope that everyone is having a very good week. 

     Over the last three weeks or so, we've been engaged in a sermon series on the names and titles for God found in the Old Testament. Today, I want to focus on a title for God that, as far as I know, is only found once in the Bible. In Genesis 16:13, Hagar refers to God as El Roi. That means "The God who sees me." Let's look into the context of this, and then see how this name for God applies to us today. 

     We have to start with a little background. God had called Abraham out of Ur and said that He would make of him a great nation. God promised that Abraham and his wife Sarah would have a son. However, this didn't happen right away. Abraham and Sarah started to try and do things apart from the way that God had planned it, and problems arose. They always do when we try to do things our way and not God's way.

     When Sarah didn't get pregnant, she gave her slave Hagar to Abraham in order that Hagar might have a son and that child would be the child that God had promised. Hagar became pregnant, and this angered Sarah who then began to seriously mistreat Hagar. Hagar had enough and ran away. 

     The Angel of the Lord appeared to Hagar and told her to go back to Sarah. Hagar was promised that her child would be a son, and she was to name him Ishmael. Hagar was told that Ishmael would have many descendants. 

     When Hagar heard this message she said, "You are the God who sees me." "I have now seen the One who sees me." She went back to Sarah. However, down the road, things got bad again. After Isaac was born, Hagar and Ishmael were sent away. But, God kept His promise. The descendants of Ishmael have been numerous. The Arabs are the descendants of Ishmael. 

     There is something I need to say at this point. There is a lot that is messed up in what happened in this story. First of all, Abraham and Sarah should have had faith in God and not involved Hagar in the process. What is the worst thing is that a person was treated like Hagar was. Slavery is in the Bible, but slavery is wrong. Just because people who are in the Bible had slaves doesn't justify it in any way. 

     Jesus gave us the Golden Rule which definitely ends slavery if put into practice. Do unto others as you would have done to you. If you wouldn't want to be enslaved and mistreated, don't enslave and mistreat others. Also, Paul said in I Timothy 1:10 that those who trade in slaves will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 

    With that said, Hagar gave a name to God that is very important. She recognized that the God of the Universe saw her and was concerned about her. Hagar was a slave and woman. In that culture, she was at the bottom rung of the ladder. God loved her and cared about her. And she recognized that. 

     What can we get out of this story as 21st Century people? Our God sees us. When we are going through trials, struggles and bad times, we can know that the Lord sees what is happening. Psalm 121:8 says that the Lord will watch over our coming and going now and forever. He cares about us. Jesus said that He will never leave us, and He will never forsake. He is with us no matter what we are going through. We can go to Him and ask Him to strengthen us and help us. One day, we will be with Him forever. 

    I think that the most important thing that we can take away from this name for God given by Hagar is that God cares about and loves everyone. There are a lot of people in this world that the world seems to have forgotten. The poor, those of certain ethnic groups and a whole host of others are seemingly just tossed aside by the oppressive forces of this world. But, God sees and cares for all. He loves everyone. He wants justice for all, and the Lord expects His followers to work for justice in this world.

    One of the reasons that the religious leaders didn't like Jesus was due to the fact that He said whosoever comes to Me I won't cast out. He cared about the marginalized and those that others in society looked down upon. 

    Jesus loves and cares about everyone. He made that clear in the story about the rich man and Lazarus. Everyone who heard the story thought surely the rich man would go to heaven because they believed that all that wealth was a sign of God's blessing. No. Jesus said that Lazarus was the one who went to Heaven. He was homeless and sick, but his heart was right with God. Jesus saw him. And, Jesus made sure that he had an eternal reward and eternal comfort. The world ignored Lazarus and didn't see him, but Jesus didn't.

     I want to close by saying that we all need to do better about seeing people. Jesus loves everyone, and we need to do that too. I want to say to you that even though others have made you feel like nothing or that you don't matter, you matter greatly to the Lord Jesus. He loves you with an everlasting love. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I went to the doctor this week, and I am encouraged more about my health. She put me on a new medicine that is really helping the arthritis in my spine and the medicine for my stomach is helping as well. I thank the Lord I am doing better. Please keep praying for me. Thank you. 

     Please keep praying for an end to the conflicts taking place around the world. Pray for peace in Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Syria, Yemen and Sudan. 

     Pray for those in California that have been harmed by all the rain. Pray that they will get the help that they need to recover. 

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

    Also, pray for Christians that are facing persecution around the world. Pray that the Lord will be with them in a special way. 

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