Weekend Sermon -- "Mark7:31-36"

      Thanks for once again taking the time to read the message for the week. I have been having busy weeks and days with moving and working, but things are settling down a little now. Thank you all for your prayers. 

     Today, we are getting back in the swing of things and focusing our attention on our continuing study in the Gospel of Mark. In our passage, we see something that seems strange, but I believe that there are important spiritual ideas from this passage for us to grasp. 

     Jesus healed the people wherever He went. He came into the city and a man who was deaf and unable to speak was brought to Him for healing. Jesus took the man aside, and then Jesus put His figures in the man's ears and on his tongue. Jesus spit, looked up to Heaven and cried be opened in Aramaic. The man was healed and began to praise the Lord. 

     Why did Jesus do this healing this way? I believe that Jesus placed the man away from the crowd first of all to not make a spectacle out of him. This may have had to do with Jesus' understanding of his personality and what he had gone through in life. Jesus understands us at our deepest level, and He will do that which is best for us. 

    I think that Jesus put his fingers in the man's ears and on his tongue in order to communicate to the man that He was going to heal him. He wanted to let the man know that He was going to do a miracle and free him from the physical boundary that had contained him. 

     By looking up into Heaven, Jesus was showing everyone that divine power and not some magical incantation was responsible for the man being healed. All of the praise, honor and glory belongs to the Lord. 

    I also think that there is another very important insight that we can gain from this text. It is this, we often do not always understand what Jesus is doing and how He is working. We live in this world and pray and rely on the Lord and often we don't get why the Lord is letting x,y or z happen to us. I know this is true in my life. However, we can know this, Jesus is always working things out according to His plans and purposes for us. 

    I will give you a couple of examples. I know that I have been called to be a minister of the Gospel. When I was younger, I thought that would mean me being the pastor of a church. Then, the very fundamentalist churches of my youth rejected me, and I didn't know what would happen. But, Jesus had it worked out. He led me into writing and evangelism work. He was working things out according to His will even though I didn't understand how it would all work out at the time. Looking back, I see it worked out great.

    On another front. When I was a young man, the family dog attacked me for no reason at all. The vet thinks he had a brain tumor. I liked that dog, and I was depressed about the whole thing. However, out of that terrible event which I didn't understand, the Lord led me to my forever best friend Toby. If the one hadn't have happened, neither would have the other. I don't understand what my life would have been without Toby. Now, I don't for a second believe the Lord made that dog attack. However, out of the bad, the Lord brought something great. I didn't see it or understand it, but the Lord Jesus was at work. 

    I said all that to say this, the Lord works often in ways we don't understand until later. We may not understand until we get to see Him face to face. We can know that Jesus is doing all for our good and will always do what is right. We can and should always give Him the praise and the glory just as this man who was healed in an unusual way did. Jesus knows what He is doing. Let our trust be in Him. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please pray that now that I have found a place to live, I will be able to find a newer car. I don't want anything fancy, just want something that will get me around. 

     Keep praying for peace. Ukraine and all the Middle East really need our prayers. Sudan needs our prayers for peace as does Congo. Haiti is still experiencing violence. 

    Pray for and end to Ebola and Cyclospora.

    Remember to keep praying for those in Nepal recovering from the natural disaster. Pray that they will get the aid and the help that they need. 

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

    Next week, I will post the verses on Tuesday and we will continue in Mark. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

Psalm 119:11 -- "I have stored up Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You."

Hebrews 2:18 -- "For because He Himself suffered when tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted."

Weekend Sermon -- "A Reflection On Life"

      Thank you for taking the time to read the message this week. I hope that everyone is enjoying the week. I want to once again thank the Lord for the opportunity to post the message. 

     Today, we are going to take a break from the series we are in engaged in the the Gospel of Mark because I want to focus on some of the things that have been going on in my life and how maybe that might be an encouragement to you. 

     If you have read the blog over the course of these last 15 plus years, you know that I have had to overcome a lot of struggles. I have dealt with grief, financial troubles and health issues. Through it all, as I have always told you, Jesus has been with me to help me to make it through both the good times and the bad. I don't know how people make it without Him. 

     At one point in my life, I was down to only eight dollars to my name. I wondered if I was even going to make it. But, the Lord was with me, and I am still here today. 

     Recently, I decided to move on with my life so to speak. I have been living in the house I lived in with my parents over the years. They both passed on to be with the Lord 17 years ago. The old house had begun to be an albatross around my neck filled with black mold and an absolute disaster. I decided to sell it, and move on. Thankfully, the Lord has helped me through this. 

    Over the course of the last few days, I have been thinking about the verse in the book of Joel that tells about God restoring what the locusts have eaten. I feel like that in my life. I was at rock bottom, but I feel more encouraged now. I feel like the Lord is helping me to come back from being so down, and maybe there is a fresh start with better things out there. 

     I said all that to say this. I want you to know that no matter what difficulty you are going through, the Lord Jesus is with you. He will help you to make it through. I don't know that everything you lost at some point in your life will be restored in this life, but I know it will be ultimately. Jesus said that those who follow Him will receive a reward. All will be well for those who are in Christ. 

    Keep trusting in the Lord. We don't always understand why we are going through what we are going through, but the Lord is going before us. He knows the way and the path. Ultimately, that way is to and through Him. Let us all keep pressing on and keep looking to Jesus who is the author and perfecter of our faith. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying that I will get everything done with the move done successfully. I need to get a different car soon, so pray with me about that. 

     Pray for those in Tibet and Nepal who are dealing with the flood. Pray that aid and help will get to those who need it. 

    Let us continue to pray for an end to the Ebola and cyclospora outbreaks. Pray that those who are sick will recover. 

     Continue to pray for peace. Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan all need our prayers. From what I understand, there is still a lot of violence occurring in Haiti. 

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

    Next week, we will continue in Mark. I will post the verses on Tuesday. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

 Psalm 19:1 -- "The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands."

I Corinthians 10:31 -- "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

Weekend Sermon -- "Mark 7:24-30"

     Thank you for taking the time to read the message. I hope all of you are doing well. I am not feeling all that well, and I would ask for your prayers. I have sold the house and have an apartment lined up, and I think all the stress of moving is weighing on me. Please pray that everything will keep going the way it needs to go according to the will and purposes of the Lord. 

     As I am sure most of you are aware, we have been going through the Gospel of Mark, and today we are going to look at what can be seen as a troubling or difficult passage. Today we deal with Jesus' encounter with the Syrophoenician woman. 

    In this text, we see that Jesus has gone to the region of Phoenicia. He is trying to get away from things for a little bit, but a woman from that area learns that He is there and comes to Him for healing for her daughter who is possessed by a demon. 

    Remarkably, Jesus tells her that it is not right to give the children's bread to the dogs. She replies that even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master's table. Amazed at the depth of her faith, Jesus heals and delivers the woman's daughter. 

     What are we to make from this troubling passage? Why would Jesus call this woman a dog which was a derisive name for a Gentile? Why is He acting this way? Let me tell you what I think is the best way to look at this passage.

    In order to fully understand this passage, we have to look at the parallel passage found in Matthew 15:21-28. This passage sets things up a little differently. In this passage the woman is continually calling to Jesus, and He is not answering. She keeps it up, and the disciples are tired of it. They ask Jesus to send the woman away. Finally, Jesus stops and says that He was only sent to the lost sheep of Israel. The woman asks for help and when she responds to Jesus as she does in Mark, Jesus amazed at her faith heals her daughter. 

    In this passage, if we combine the two to make a whole, here is what I believe is happening. Jesus came to save the world. John makes it clear that God loved the whole world that is why He sent His only begotten Son. Many in Jesus' day thought that the message of the Lord was only for one group of people. The disciples were like that, and Jesus was expressing their opinion. He waited to help the woman to see if the disciples would be moved with compassion and ask Him to help her. When they didn't, Jesus jumped in.

    Jesus tested the woman's faith in order to demonstrate to the disciples that people of all types can have faith in Him. The woman demonstrated a strong and powerful faith. 

    What does this have to teach us? First of all, this passage shows that we as the people of God are to reach out with His love to all people. Not just one group of people are to be the recipients of the love and goodness of the Lord. His love is to all people, all groups everyone and everywhere. And, we have the responsibility to share the love of the Lord with all. 

    The other thing that I want to really reiterate from this passage is the great compassion and love of the Lord Jesus. Jesus loves you and He cares about you no matter who you are or where you come from. His love is great and available to all who will come to Him. Whoever comes to Him, He will not cast them out. May His name be praised. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please continue to pray about my moving and transitioning in housing process. This is harder than I thought. 

     Keep praying for an end to the Ebola a Cyclospora outbreaks. 

    Pray for and end to war in the Middle East, Ukraine, Sudan and around the world. 

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

    Next week, we will continue in Mark. I will post the verses on Tuesday. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week and An Update

    First the update. An answer to prayer. I found a new home. Thank you. 

I Peter 5:7 -- Casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you." 

Matthew 6:11 -- "Give us this day our daily bread."

Update and prayer request

     I am not posting the verses or sermon this week. They will resume in September. I am busy with selling the house and moving.  Please pray I will get the apartment I have applied for. Thank you.