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.