Something I Want To Say

      According to statistics, about 650,000 people are homeless in my country the United States. Some think that this figure is too low. Of these 650,000 people, about half of them live on the streets. 

     This week, the US Supreme Court ruled that cities and municipalities can fine and penalize homeless people who camp or put up tents in public spaces even if the city or municipality does not have shelters available for homeless people.  It was a 6-3 ruling.

     I want to say that I am very upset by this decision. I understand from living not too far away from Kansas City that homeless encampments and such can be a problem. The answer is not fining and penalizing people. Part of the answer is to build more affordable and subsidized housing for people. We also need more shelters for people to go to especially in places where it is really hot and/or cold. 

     We can and must do better here in my country. More effort and more funds need to go to helping with this problem. Punishing people is not the answer. I hope that all churches in this country will do more to help with homelessness problems and helping to feed and clothe those in need. 

Weekend Sermon -- II Thessalonians 2:1-10

      I am posting the message a day later than normal. It has been a bad week of storms in my area. Last night, we had a terrible storm that caused a lot of damage in and around my area. Thankfully, I did not have too much trouble. I have been feeling fairly well, so I thank the Lord for that. I hope that you are all doing well. 

     Last week, we finished up chapter one in our current study of the book of II Thessalonians. Today, we will be starting on chapter two looking into a problem that Paul was dealing with in the church, and we will be looking into Paul's teaching about who he refers to as the man of lawlessness. 

     If you remember way back when we studied I Thessalonians, Paul was dealing with the people's questions about the return of the Lord Jesus. Paul made it clear to them that those who died before the coming of the Lord would receive a glorified body and go to be with Jesus the same as those who were still alive at the time of the coming of the Lord. Paul wanted to make sure that they understood that Jesus had not yet come, He was still coming, and all who were in Christ would be with Him for all eternity. No one who believed in Jesus would be left out. 

    Apparently, Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians did not settle all of the issues relating to the Second Coming of Jesus. Some in that church were saying that even Paul was teaching that the Second Coming of the Lord has already taken place. Paul makes it very clear clear in chapter two and verse three that the day of the Lord will not come until the time of the rebellion and the time when the man of lawlessness is revealed. Since that had not yet occurred, Paul lets the people know that the Second Coming of Jesus had not yet taken place. 

     Let's take a little time to look into what this rebellion is and who this man of lawlessness is. Some translations of the Bible translate the rebellion as a great falling away or an apostasy. This means that there will come a time when many who have said that they believed in Jesus will turn their back on Him. They will decide that they do not want to follow the way of the cross. This falling away will be so bad that Jesus Himself asked if He would still find faith on earth when He returned. We also know from the teaching of Jesus that right before He returns, the world will be in a terrible state of immorality. Jesus said it will be like it was in the days of Noah. 

     Will this falling away occur among those who were true believers and then turned against Jesus, or is this referring to those who had a mere profession of faith and not true possession of faith? My thought is that it is both. As I've stated here on the blog before, I do believe that it is possible for people to decide that they don't want to follow Jesus anymore. The Lord does not force anyone to follow Him. 

    Now, who is this man of lawlessness? This is the antichrist who is spoken of in other places in the Bible. He will be an immoral world leader who will lead the world in doing all that is opposed to God and the things of God. He will do signs and wonders to deceive people, and the world will descend into utter darkness. 

     There is a spirit of lawlessness and evil that is already working in the world. The only thing that is holding it back is the power of the Holy Spirit working in the world. One day, at the time of God's choosing, the restraint will be taken away, and the man of lawlessness will be revealed.

     This man of lawlessness, and all those who follow his ways and the way of darkness, will meet their end at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He will come in power and great glory with His saints with Him. All evil, and the evil one, will be defeated. Jesus will rule and reign in righteousness, and the universe will be restored to the state in which it existed before sin entered into the created order. 

     What does this mean for us? We must remain faithful to the Lord. We must stand for Him. We must guard our hearts that we will not be deceived. We must realize that all of these things could happen quickly, and the Lord might come back soon. We don't know for one hundred percent certain how all of this is going to develop. We do know this. Jesus said He is coming. He will make all things new. He will defeat the enemy. He invites you and me to follow Him and be part of the Kingdom of God. I hope that in all things that you will chose to follow Jesus. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please pray that we won't have any more bad storms. Also, please pray that I will get to feeling better. I am doing better, but I have some way to go yet. I would also ask you to pray for a friend of mine at work who has lung problems and another friend dealing with cancer. Thank you. 

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

    Pray for peace. Sudan, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Yemen, Syria, and many other places need our prayers for peace. 

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

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

Verses For The Week

 Philippians 3:20 -- "But our citizenship is in Heaven and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ."

II Corinthians 5:8 -- "We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord." 

Weekend Sermon -- II Thessalonians 1:11-12

      It is time once again time for the Weekend Sermon. Thank you for taking the time to read the message. I hope the you are all doing well. I am doing better. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to post this message. 

     As you are probably aware, we are in the midst of a series of messages going chapter by chapter through the book of II Thessalonians. Last week, we saw that Paul told the people that one day all of those who opposed God and the things of God would be judged by the Lord. That would occur when Jesus comes back to earth in power and great glory. Jesus Himself said that one day He would return and judge the nations as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 

     Today, we are going to look at the final two verses of chapter one. In verse 11, Paul says that with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in mind, he is praying that the people would be made worthy of God's calling of them. He says that it is his hope that God by His power would bring about all of the people's desire for goodness. In verse 12, Paul states that he wants the name of the Lord Jesus to be glorified in the Thessalonian's lives. 

     So, what does all of this mean for us? Like the Thessalonians, we are believers in Jesus who are awaiting His return. We do not know exactly when Jesus will return. Jesus said that no one knows the day nor the hour. Only the Father in Heaven knows. 

     Jesus said that His return would be like a thief in the night. No one knows when the thief is coming. All those who are followers of Jesus need to live in such a way that should Jesus return at any given moment, they will be found doing the will of the Lord and walking in His ways. No one who is a follower of Jesus wants to be ashamed at His coming. 

     Paul tells the Thessalonians, and us, that we are to be doing what is good as we await the coming of the Lord. Doing what is good includes telling others about Jesus and obeying the Great Commission given to us by the Lord. It also means going about doing as much as we can to help others and make the world the best that it can be under the circumstances until Jesus does return. In addition, doing good means living a life of holiness set apart from the world and its value system. We are living righteous lives in obedience to the teachings of the Lord Jesus. 

     As we wait for the return of our Lord, we are to be glorifying Him. We are to live in such a way that people will see our good works and glorify the Lord who is in Heaven. We don't want to do anything that will make people want to turn away from the Lord. All that we do should be done in order to please the Lord and draw others unto Him so that they might know His love and His forgiveness in their lives. 

     The only way that we will be able to accomplish anything for the Lord is through His grace and through His power. We are saved by grace. We are kept in Him be His grace. We are able to do good and live for Him as we are aided by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. 

    Let each of us strive to live for Jesus. As we await His return, let us work to bring others to Him and help others in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I have been doing better. I am still having a little trouble breathing, so please keep me in your prayers. It is very hot where I live and in many parts of the US. Please pray that the intense heat will cool off. Thank you. 

    Pray for those in the path of the tropical storm in Mexico. Pray that people will get the help that they need to recover. 

    Continue to pray for peace in the world. Let us really focus our prayers for peace this week on Sudan. Keep praying for peace in Israel, Gaza and Ukraine. Pray that the hostages will be released.

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

     Next week, we will begin studying II Thessalonians chapter 2. I will post the verses on Monday. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

 Proverbs 11:17 -- "A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself."

Colossians 3:12 -- "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."

Weekend Sermon -- II Thessalonians 1:6-10

     It is once again time for the Weekend Sermon. I hope that all of you have had a very good week. I am feeling a lot better. I thank the Lord for helping me to get through a rough time. 

     Last week, we began a new series of messages where we will be going through the book of II Thessalonians to see what the Lord would have to say to us in this book. We saw last week, that Paul was thankful that those in the church where growing spiritually especially in their love for one another. In spite of trials and persecutions, they were persevering in the faith. 

     As we begin today, we see in verse six that Paul begins by stating that "God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you." In the context of the time when this epistle was written, Paul is letting the people in Thessalonica know that those who are persecuting them will not get away with that type of evil. God sees all. Wrong doing is not going unnoticed by the Lord. He sees all, and He keeps a record of all. Those who do what is wrong and do not follow the way of the Lord will ultimately face a day of reckoning. 

     When will this time of reckoning take place? Paul says in verse 7 that it will occur when the Lord Jesus comes at the time of His Second Coming when He returns in power and great glory with all of the angels of Heaven with Him. 

     When the Lord returns a judgment will take place. Those who are in rebellion against the Lord and have rejected Him and His ways will be cast away from His presence forever. Paul says that they will go into everlasting destruction. They have refused to accept the way of salvation made available to them by the Lord Jesus. 

     At the time of His Second Coming, Jesus will make all things new, and He will make all things right. Those who have done the good will receive a reward from the Lord. Those who have chosen to do what is evil will receive the punishment that is deserved for what they have done. 

     When Jesus returns, the world will be restored to the state in which it existed before sin entered into the world and destroyed the perfect world that God had created. There will be no more wars, and there will be no more crime and conflict. Everyone all over the entire created order will bow the knee to Jesus Christ and declare that He is Lord. Jesus will rule and reign in righteousness, and He will execute justice with mercy over all that He has made. 

     When Jesus comes, Paul says that He will be, "glorified in His holy people." Those who have known the Lord in this life will be with Him in the age to come. The Lord will receive all of the glory because He is the one who has obtained the victory. Everyone who is with Jesus in the world to come will be there because of the grace of God. No one who is there will have earned their way there, and they won't be there because of some goodness on their own part. Salvation and participation in the world to come is by grace through faith and not of works. 

     Right now, the majority of the human race is in rebellion against God. All of the creation is groaning waiting for the day of redemption. One day, the Lord will put and end to the rebellion and He will reign. You have the opportunity to have a part in the Kingdom that is to come. Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins. Believe in your heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead, and ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life. The Lord Jesus will take away your sins and give you His righteousness. You will have new life now and in the age to come. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying that I will continue to have improvements in my health. Thank you. 

     Pray for those in Florida dealing with the floods. Pray that they can get the help that they need. 

     Continue to pray for peace in the world. Sudan, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and Syria all need our prayers at this time. 

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

Prayer Request

      I am feeling a lot better, and I thank the Lord for that. Please pray that I will continue to improve. Also, the weather is forecast to be stormy and very hot. Please pray that the storms and heat will not be too bad. Thank you. 

Verses For The Week

 Matthew 11:28 -- " Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Mark 10:27 -- "With men it is impossible, but not with God, for with God all things are possible."

Weekend Sermon -- II Thessalonians 1:1-5

      Thank you for reading the message this week. I have not had a good week at all. First of all, it has been a sad week. Second, I have contracted a bad case of pneumonia and have had to be off from work. Unfortunately, they are mad at me at work for missing time, but there is nothing that I can do about it. I am feeling just well enough today to get the message posted. I don't want to be all negative. I am really thankful to the Lord that I had my friend Toby with me for so long. I know we will see each other again. I am also thankful that I have medicine to take to get over pneumonia, and the Lord is always with me.  I hope that you are all doing well. 

     A couple of years ago here on the blog, we had the opportunity to go chapter by chapter and verse by verse through the book of I Thessalonians. At that time, I had considered going right into II Thessalonians and covering that book as well. However, that is not what I had the sense that the Lord wanted me to do then. Now, I feel like the Lord wants me to go through II Thessalonians here on the blog, so that is what we are going to be doing over the course of the next several weeks. 

     Before we get too deep into II Thessalonians, let us just review a little about what I Thessalonians is all about. Paul visited Thessalonica on one of this missionary journeys as is recorded in the Book of Acts. He faced opposition and had to depart from the city. However, he was able to establish a church there. 

     In approximately the year 50AD, Paul wrote the first epistle to the Thessalonians. It was written to encourage the people and to make sure that some who were worried would understand that even those who had died would rise and meet the Lord in the air when He returned. 

     Apparently, Paul's first letter did not answer all of the questions and the false ideas that has arisen concerning the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. So, in about the year 51 AD, Paul wrote a second letter to the church in Thessalonica. 

     Some people do not believe that Paul wrote II Thessalonians. It is somewhat of a theological "issue" right now. I think Paul clearly wrote this letter. He is simply dealing with some of the same things as in the first letter because there were still misunderstandings. 

     Paul begins this letter with a greeting sent from himself as well as Silas and Timothy. They were his faithful companions in the ministry.  Paul wishes the grace and peace of the Father and the Son to be with the people to whom he is writing. 

     Paul gets into the heart of the epistle with verse three. He says that he thanks God because the people's faith is growing and their love is increasing. This is how it ought to be in every church. We can't just stay in one place spiritually. We have to keep growing and improving. We have to as we are empowered by the Spirit become more and more like the Lord Jesus every day. We also need to become more reliant on the Lord as we progress in the faith. We have our faith built up more and more as we see that the Lord is faithful to us. We must mature as Christians. In one place, Paul talks about leaving the milk of the Word and moving on to the meat. One way to do this is to read and study the Bible diligently and apply what it has to say. 

      We also need to increase in our love one for another. As believers in Jesus, we must love another and care about one another. That means sharing each others burdens and helping each other when and where we can. It means seeking the best for one another and helping each other become better and stronger Christians. 

      Paul goes on to say in verse four that he could boast about the fact that the people were enduring in the faith in spite of facing trials and persecutions. Christians faced persecutions from day one. Many people turned away. But not so with the people in Thessalonica. They were enduring and remaining faithful to Jesus. 

     There are fellow believers in this world who are facing persecution. In spite of it, they still remain faithful to Jesus. We should daily remember them in our prayers. 

     Finally, in verse five, Paul says that the people's endurance in trial is evidence that they are worthy of the coming Kingdom of God. Those who face persecution and do not turn away from Jesus show that they have a true possession of faith and not just an empty profession of faith. 

     Whatever trial we are going through, we can know that Jesus is with us. He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. He will never leave us and He will not forsake us. One day, He will return and all will be made right. We will see more about what Paul has to say about this next week. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please pray that I will get to feeling better. Pray that I can find a better job. Also, there are more storms in the forecast for my area. Please pray that things won't be too bad. Thank you.

     Pray for peace. I heard a report on the radio this week about the terrible situation right now in Sudan. Let us really focus our prayers for peace on that country this week. The people need aid and help to reach them. Pray for peace in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Syria, Yemen and Myanmar as well. 

     Please pray that those recovering from the storms will get the aid that they need. 

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

I Am Sad Today

      Today is the day when my friend Toby passed away. I am very sad today. Probably more so than I have been in a long time. I know that I will see him again one day, but I miss him. There may be a lot of people who don't understand why I care about him so much. He was my best friend. He loved me for who I was. He saved me from depression when I was in a really dark place. If he had not come, I would not be here today. I thank the Lord for my friend. Hopefully we will be together soon. 

Verses For The Week

 Psalm 147:3 -- "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

Matthew 5:4 -- "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,"