Weekend Sermon -- "Philippians 3:12-16"

      Thank you for reading this week's message. I thank the Lord for all those who read the blog, and I hope that you all are having a very good week. 

      If you regularly read the blog, you know that we've been in a long running series studying what the Lord has to teach us from the book of Philippians. We are currently in chapter 3. 

     Last week, we saw that following the Lord Jesus and having a personal relationship with Him is the most valuable and the most important thing for time and for eternity. Everything that is apart from the Lord and what He wants for us is without value. The focus of our lives should be on serving the Lord and doing His will and following His teachings and commandments. 

     Today, we will continue in chapter 3. Verse 12 is the key verse in our passage today. It states, "I have not yet reached my goal, and I not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize." Verse 13 goes on, "My friends, I don't feel I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and struggle for what is ahead."

     Paul was a man who lived his life in such a way that he was always striving to follow Jesus to the fullest. He wanted to draw closer to Jesus and live in such a way that the Lord would be pleased with him. His whole life was centered around faithfully following Jesus. 

    Even though Paul was striving to be like Jesus everyday, he knew that he hadn't arrived. There were still things in his life that he needed to work out. He was going to keep working to be the best follower of Jesus that he could be. Why? Because Christ had taken hold of him. Jesus was everything to him. And he wanted to please Him.

     This is what our attitude needs to be. None of us have reached perfection. Sometimes we do what we shouldn't do, and many times we fail to do the things that we should. But, we must never give up. We don't want to rest on our previous spiritual experiences. We don't want to plateau spiritually so to speak and not keep going on. We want to grow in our relationship with Jesus every day so that we become more like Him. We want to be like Jesus in this world and serve others in the same way that He served. 

     Paul said that he wanted to win the prize of being called to Heaven. This was not him earning his way to Heaven. Those who are in Christ have it within themselves to want to do the will of the Lord. We persevere and strive to overcome and be like Jesus. We keep going until the day when we are called by the Lord to join Him in the place that He has prepared for those who love Him. 

     We don't want to turn to the right or to the left as we look to Jesus to guide us in the way that we should go. We want to look straight at Jesus and follow His leading and His example as we make our way through this world. We will work to overcome sin and self, and we will work to lay up treasure in heaven as we spread the message of Jesus' love to those whom we know. 

     Let each of us keep going and growing in our walk with the Lord. Let us all keep Jesus at the forefront of our lives. Amen

  Prayer Requests

     I have an important prayer request. I thought I had my roof fixed. There were a couple of rains, and there was no leaking. However, a big rain came this week, and the roof has started in again. I don't have the funds to really repair it the way it needs to be. Please pray that the Lord will provide in this matter. Thank you. 

     Now, there is something else we need to pray about. Here in the US, the president has decided to take over Washington DC. One of the things he wants to do is force those who are homeless to either go into shelter or into addiction or mental health care. If they don't, they will be incarcerated. He has also talked about moving the homeless to tent cities far outside of DC. Here is the problem. There aren't enough shelters. Funds for affordable housing are not forthcoming. Money for healthcare for the poor has been slashed. We can't just round people up and start imprisoning them for being poor and/or sick. Let us all pray that there will be a change. We need funding and services to address the problem of homelessness. We need churches to step up and help. This problem has gone on too long in this country. But just putting people in prison isn't the answer. Please pray about this.

     Let us pray for peace in the world. Ukraine needs prayers for peace. Pray for peace in Gaza and the release of the Israeli hostages. Pray for peace in Sudan. Haiti also needs our prayers. 

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

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

Verses For The Week

 I John 4:19 -- "We love because He first loved us."

John 15:13 -- "Greater love has no one than this, than someone lays down His life for His friends."

The Weekend Sermon -- "Philippians 3:7-11"

      Thanks for once again coming over to view the message this week. I have had a busy week, and as always, I am glad to be able to post the message. I hope and pray that everyone is having a good week as well. 

     Today, we will once again be studying in the book of Philippians. We saw last week that Paul wanted to emphasize to the people that salvation does not come by obeying the law. We can only have forgiveness of sins and a relationship with the Lord by grace through faith. As I mentioned, Paul explicitly lays this out in Ephesians where he says we are saved by grace through faith and not by works lest anyone should have reason to boast. 

     In our passage for today, Paul says something that is truly wonderful, and that is what I want to emphasize in my remarks for this message. In verses 7-8 Paul states, "But Christ has shown me that what I once thought was valuable is worthless. Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Jesus Christ my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ." Truly powerful words.

     Paul was referring to the fact that at one time, he felt that it was of the utmost importance that he be zealous for the law. As he said, he was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. He felt that if he was diligent in obeying all of the law, he would then be acceptable to God. However, Paul encountered the risen Lord on the road to Damascus. He came to have a personal relationship with Jesus, and Jesus totally and completely revolutionized his life. Paul then knew that faith in Christ is what makes a person acceptable to God. Knowing Jesus and having a relationship with Him is more important than anything else in the world. 

     Now, these words have a particular meaning to me. In that first verse, Paul says what he thought was valuable he now thought of as worthless. In my case, this has something to do with some of the things that I once thought were important things. At one time, I thought having money and a nice car and a fine home were important things to obtain in life. Being thought of as an important and respected person was something that I desired. However, as I've gone through life and grown in my relationship with the Lord Jesus, I've discovered that all of those old things I once thought were important are truly worthless. The only truly valuable thing is knowing Jesus and having a relationship with Him.

     Jesus told us that laying up treasure here on earth is in vain. We all should be laying up treasure in Heaven. That means building a relationship with the Lord and doing what He wants us to do here on earth to help people and make it as good a place as it can be until the day that He returns to rule and reign in power and great glory. Obtaining riches, fortune, fame and prestige are all things that are just passing away. 

     Now, I don't want to pass over the other verses in our passage for today. Paul is making clear once again that faith in Christ alone is what brings salvation. Paul wants to know Jesus and the power of His resurrection. His goal was that just as Christ has been raised, one day he too would be raised to newness of life in the world to come. 

     That is the expectation for all of those who know Jesus. Jesus rose from the dead conquering death, hell and the grave. He is the resurrection and the life. Those who put their faith and trust in Him do not need to fear death. Those who are in Christ Jesus will go to be with Him in the place that He has prepared when they die. That is not because of anything that they have done, but it is because of what Jesus has done on their behalf. We can only be made right with God through the work of Jesus on the Christ and through His glorious resurrection. It is my hope that if you have never placed your faith and trust in Jesus that you will give your life to Him today. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I am getting along, but I am not really feeling all that well. Please keep praying. Also, please keep praying that my area will not have in more heavy rains. Thankfully, things have been fairly calm as of late. 

     Remember to keep praying for peace. Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Sudan and Haiti all need our prayers. 

     Keep praying that aid and help will reach the poor and sick in this world. Pray that no one will die because of a lack of food or medicine. Pray that those who have will help those who are in need. 

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

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

Verses For The Week

 Micah 7:7 -- "But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior, my God will hear me."

Psalm 9:18 -- "For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever."

The Weekend Sermon -- "Philippians 3:2-6"

      Thanks for reading the message. I am glad to be able to post it. I am doing some better, and I hope that you are all doing well.

     Last week, we focused on just one verse as we began our study of chapter 3 in Philippians. We focused on the fact that we need to be glad and rejoice in the fact that we belong to the Lord. In our section for today, Paul is going to switch gears and give the people in Philippi a warning. 

     In verse 2, Paul tells the people to "Watch out for those people who behave like dogs."  What is Paul speaking about? In many of the places that Paul went to to preach the Gospel, there arose opposition to his message of grace. Some believed that in order for a person to be right with God, that person had to follow the Jewish law. This was all settled at the Council of Jerusalem recorded in Acts 15. However, there will still many who said that people where saved not by faith alone but by faith plus the keeping of the law. 

     Paul wanted to make sure that people didn't fall into a false teaching. No one can be made right with God by keeping the law. No one can be made right with God through doing good deeds. As Paul will say, "We take pride in Christ Jesus." He means by this that the only way that we can be made right with God is through what Jesus has done for us. In Ephesians, Paul tells us that we are saved by grace through faith. We are not saved by works lest anyone should have reason to boast. Our salvation is dependent all on the finished work of Christ on the cross and His bodily resurrection. 

     As he continues, Paul will explain that if salvation was dependent on following the law or doing good, he would have something to boast about. He was extremely diligent in keeping the law. He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. He was firmly committed to following the Law of Moses. However, Paul knew that this meant nothing. It is only through faith in Jesus that one can be saved and forgiven. 

     Now, there is something else that we can see in the teaching of Paul in our section today. We should not go around comparing ourselves and our work to other believers. Paul is letting people know that boasting in good deeds is not the way that Jesus would want us to go. We are to follow the Lord and do His will in His way in our lives. We aren't to worry about what others are doing or what others are accomplishing. We are responsible for following the Lord as He leads us. 

     It is unfortunate that many people in churches today do not understand that they are saved by grace through faith and not by works. I see so many people who have been going to church their entire lives and they believe that they will have eternal life in heaven because they have been a good person. We will only have eternal life because of what Christ has done for us. Do not trust in your own good deeds and good works to save you from your sins. Put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus and in Him alone. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I am doing some better in my health. Please keep praying that the weather will straighten up in my area. Thank you. 

     Keep praying for peace in the world. Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Syria, Sudan, Cambodia and Thailand all need our prayers for peace. 

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

     Next week, I will post the verses on Tuesday. We will continue with our current series for the sermon. May God bless you all. 

     

Verses For The Week and Prayer Request

 John 14:27 -- "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid."

Isaiah 26:3 -- "Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace -- in peace because they trust in you."

Please pray that the storms predicted in my area for this week do not cause problems, We have had more than enough rain. 

The Weekend Sermon -- "Philippians 3:1"

      Thank you for your continued interest in the blog and the sermons. I hope that you all are doing well and having a good day.

     Last week, we came to the end of our discussions in chapter 2 of Philippians. That is a great chapter speaking about what Jesus has done for us. I really love the section known as the Christ Hymn. That section really sums up what Jesus has done for us. It tells us so much about the Lord. One day, all will bow before Him and acknowledge who He is and what He has done. 

     Today, we move into Philippians chapter 3, and I want to focus on one phrase from the first verse which states, "be glad that you belong to the Lord." This statement has a lot of meaning. It is very meaningful to me. 

     First of all, we need to be glad that we belong to the Lord because that demonstrates that we have been forgiven of our sins and Jesus is the Lord of our lives. When we turn from sin and self and turn to the Lord Jesus for forgiveness and reconciliation, we belong to Him. We are no longer our own because we have been brought with a price. That price is the death on the cross of Jesus. He purchased our redemption so that anyone who is willing to come to Him might belong to Him forever and forever. Whoever comes to Jesus, He will not cast them out. 

     I am glad that I belong to the Lord because that is what gives meaning to my life. There are many things in this life that are important to me and that I like to do. But, nothing has ultimate meaning if this life is all that there is. Because I belong to Jesus, I know that what I do for the Lord will count not only for time but for eternity. My life can have meaning because belonging to the Lord allows me to lay up treasure in Heaven. There is something beyond this life that I am looking forward to. 

     Belonging to the Lord also to me means that Jesus is always with me as I go through this life. For me, this life hasn't always been the easiest to get through. Through it all, I know that Jesus is with me. Without His ever abiding presence in my life, I would not have been able to make it through. I wouldn't be where I am today if Jesus was not with me guiding me and showing me the way that He wants me to go. Through it all, especially in the hard times, the presence of Jesus lets me know that I belong to Him and that He loves me. He will never leave me and He will never forsake me. He loves me so much that He has prepared a place in Heaven for me so that when I die I will be with Him forever. 

     I am glad that I belong to the Lord. He is my Savior, my Friend, My King, My Lord and My Guide. And so much more. You can belong to Him too. Jesus invites you to come to Him and let Him turn your life around. I hope that you will do that today. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     Please continue to pray in regard to my health. I am having several issues. 

     Keep praying for those affected by the floods in Texas. Pray that people will get the aid and the help that they need. Also, pray for those affected my the floods in the Kansas City area where I live. 

     Continue to pray that those who have had aid and help removed from them by the US and UK will be able to be helped by others coming forward to assist them. 

     Let us keep praying for peace. Ukraine really needs our prayers. Pray for peace in Israel, Gaza, Syria Sudan and wherever war is a reality. 

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

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

Prayer Request

     We have been having some bad flooding in my area, especially just north of where I live. Tomorrow, the forecast is for extreme rain again. Please pray that we don't get these flooding rains. Thank you.

Verses For The Week

 II Corinthians 5:18 -- "Now all things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation."

Romans 5:10 -- "For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."

Ephesians 2:13 -- "But now in Christ Jesus, you who were formerly far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ."

The Weekend Sermon -- "Philippians 2:19-30"

      It is time again for the Weekend Sermon, and I am glad to be able to post this message. Thank you for reading the message, and may the Lord's blessing be on you all. 

     As you are probably aware, we are studying through the book of Philippians. Today, we are going to finish up chapter 2. Much of this chapter has concerned following the example of Jesus in His humility. The chapter speaks about caring for others, and thinking of others and their burdens more highly than of oneself. 

     In today's message, I want us to look at the whole role that companions and friends play in our lives. Paul wasn't going all over the world telling people about Jesus by himself. He had others who came with him. When he first started his journeys, he went with a man named Barnabas.  A man named Silas went many places with Paul. We also know that Luke accompanied Paul often. That was how he was able to write in Acts so extensively about what Paul was up to. 

    One of Paul's important companions was Timothy. Timothy was a young man who Paul trained up to be a leader in the church. He relied on Timothy to carry out tasks, and Paul knew that he could trust Timothy to the full extent. In our text today, Paul also mentions Epaphroditus. He had been sick, but God healed him. He was a helper to Paul, and Paul wanted to send him and Timothy to the Philippians to encourage them and help them in the faith. 

     None of us can make it in this life alone. That is just on the human and temporal level. We need helpers and we need friends. If someone says that they made it where they are in life by their own efforts, they aren't telling the truth. Everyone has had someone help them in life to get where they are. 

     We all need friends who help us in this life. I had great parents who helped me to be able to study the word of the Lord. I had my friend Toby that the Lord sent me to help me not fall into depression and have other problems. I would not be here today if the Lord had not sent my friend Toby to me. I also had a good friend growing up who shared many great times with me and my family. 

     I have people who help me now. My brother and a man that I've known for many years have helped me when I was down financially. My brother is always there when I need help. 

    In the ministry, we all need to rely on others. The pastor can't do everything in the church. He needs help from others in the body of Christ is order to make sure that the local church functions in the way intended by the Lord Jesus. We all need to work together to advance the cause of Christ. 

     All of us have our own role to play in doing what needs to be done for the Lord in this world. Paul was a great Apostle, but there were others who had to come alongside and do things in order to help his ministry be more effective. 

     Everyone who is a part of the body of Christ has his or her own role to play in the life of the body of Christ. We each have our own calling and spiritual gifts. We do our part to help each other and to make this world a better place. We all work together to fulfill the Great Commission. 

     Don't try and go it alone in life or in ministry. You won't succeed. We are all important, and we all need each other. Be there for others. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying that my health will continue to improve.

     Pray for those who were affected by flooding in Texas. Pray that they will get the help that they need. 

     We need to keep praying for peace in this world. Ukraine needs peace as does Israel and Gaza. Pray for Syria as there is renewed fighting there. Pray for peace in Colombia as there is renewed fighting there as well. Keep praying for peace in Sudan. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Tanzania and Nepal. Pray that many will come to know Jesus and His great love. 

     Next week, we will start Philippians chapter 3. I will post the verses on Tuesday. May God bless you all.

Verses For The Week

 Luke 6:37 -- "Judge not, and you will not be judged, condemn not, and you will not be condemned, forgive, and you will be forgiven."

I John 1:9 -- "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Weekend Sermon -- "Philippians 2:14-16"

      Thank you all for once again taking the time to check out the message for the week. I hope that you are all doing well and are in good health. I am feeling pretty good. I just want the weather where I live to be less stormy and rainy. 

     Last week, we continued in Philippians looking into the fact that Paul wanted to make sure that those who where in the church at Philippi where being obedient to the commandments and teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. He wanted them to know what it really meant to be saved. 

     There is something that I want to add to this that I didn't write about last week. There is a teaching that has become very prominent in the church. It makes being a Christian all about going to Heaven and not going to Hell. To be saved means that a person won't go to Hell. But, being a Christian and being saved so to speak is much more than this. Being saved means that a person decides to become a follower of Jesus. A person makes Jesus the Lord of his or her life. That means that in this life, we are committed to following what Jesus has told us to do. We follow what He said generally to all of those who have come to Him, and we follow what He has told us as individuals to do in this world. It's not all about the life to come. Being a follower of Jesus means just that. We follow His example. We do what He would do in this world. We live lives of holiness that are pleasing to the Lord. We don't seek our way, but we seek His way. 

     In verse 14 of our section today, Paul instructs the people to, "Do everything without grumbling and arguing." This is of critical importance. When I was growing up, my parents attended and were very active in a very fundamentalist church, and they sent me to this church's school. The church was very evangelistic, and they tried to get people in the community to come and hear the message of Jesus. There was one big problem. This particular church had the reputation in the community as being a church where the people couldn't get along. We went to this church until I was about 16. During those years, I can't even count the number of people who got mad and left the church. There was one church split after another. When I went there, that church had an average attendance of about 60 to 70. However, if everyone who left the church because of a dispute had stayed there, the attendance would easily have been 150 to 160 or more. The church had a bad reputation in the community, and no one really wanted to hear what it had to say. Thankfully, the Lord delivered me out of this situation. When we left this church, I was in such a state of depression I wasn't long for this earth. If the Lord Jesus hadn't brought my friend Toby into my life at about this time, I probably wouldn't even be around today. I am glad that I got to find out who Jesus really is. I have written a little about all of this before. In the future, I might get more into things. 

     When churches and Christians argue and fight with one another, it creates a bad testimony. It drives people away from the Lord. Things are supposed to be the exact opposite. We are supposed to shine as lights in this world as Paul says. People who don't know the Lord should see that we are living for Him and thus be drawn to want to know more about Jesus. 

     Jesus said it this way. He said that we are to shine as lights in the world so that people can see our good works and as a result give glory to the Father who is in Heaven. We don't ever want to do something bad that will cause someone to turn away from the Lord Jesus. 

     I believe that one of the main reasons that people don't want to come to church in my country is due to what they are seeing in many churches and with many Christians. They are seeing so many who are calling people names and acting in a hateful and a belligerent manner to others. And it is mostly due to politics. All of this drives people away. And it should not be this way. 

     Paul lays it out. We need to be living in such a way that when Jesus returns, He has good things to say about us. When Jesus returns, or when we meet Him after we die, we want to hear Him say, "Well done good and faithful servant." We don't want to be ashamed at His coming. 

     With this in mind, let all of us do good and right in this world. Let us love one another and love our neighbor as ourselves. Let us help to make this world a better place. May we do all that we can to draw others to Jesus. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I am sure that many of you have heard about the tragic flooding in the state of Texas. Many have died, and many are still unaccounted for. Please pray that if someone is trapped and still alive that they will be rescued. Pray that people will get the aid and the help that they need in this situation. 

     Pray for those suffering as a result of other natural disasters. There is flooding in New Mexico, and a tropical storm hit the east coast. I know that there were storms in Taiwan and China. Please pray for all of those in harms way. 

    Continue to pray for peace in this world. Ukraine needs peace. Israel and Gaza need peace. People need to be able to access aid in an orderly and peaceful way. The remaining hostages need to be released. Keep praying for peace in Yemen, Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan and it the other troubled areas of this world. 

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

    Next week, we will continue with our current series. I will post the verses on Tuesday. I hope that in the next few weeks that if my health keeps improving that I can get the new book on the Psalms posted here on the blog. More on that later. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

      I wanted to give everyone an update. I have been feeling pretty well lately. I thank the Lord, and I thank you for your prayers. I would like everyone to pray for those suffering as a result of the flooding in Texas. Pray that the Lord will be with everyone, and that aid will reach those who are in need. 

     Colossians 3:17 -- "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

     I Chronicles 16:34 -- "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever."

Weekend Sermon -- "Philippians 2:12-13"

      Thank you for joining me today for the weekend sermon. I am so glad to be able to post this message. We've been having a lot of bad weather where I live. I've had to go up on the roof and repair damage. Please pray that I can get all the work done, and that there won't be any more problems from all the rain and storms. I hope and pray that all of you are doing well. 

     Today, we are resuming our study in the book of Philippians. Last time, we focused on the section known as the Christ Hymn. This section shows clearly the humility of Jesus Christ. He was willing to set aside His Heavenly glory to come as a human in order to redeem the universe from the fall. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. 

     Now, chapter two takes a turn. As we've seen, Paul is away from the church at Philippi. In our first verse today, Paul urges the people to obey his teachings even more now that he is away from them as they did when he was with them. Paul gave the people his example and the teachings of the Lord Jesus about how they were to live their lives in the world. The mark that they were really getting the principles of the Lord Jesus deep within their hearts was that they were living according to the teachings and commandments of Jesus at all times. It was a consistent part of their lives. They didn't need Paul there to monitor what they were doing, they were simply willing to do what the Lord wanted them to be doing. 

     Paul goes on to tell them in the rest of verse twelve to, "Work with fear and trembling to discover what it really means to be saved." First of all, what does this verse not mean. Paul is not telling anyone that they are saved by works or by doing good deeds. We are saved by grace through faith alone. We are saved not by anything that we have done, but we are saved because of what Jesus has done on our behalf. 

     What Paul is getting at is that being saved means that we do certain things. A person who has a true possession of faith and not merely an empty profession of faith is a person who is living in such a way that it is evident that Jesus is the Lord of their life. A person who truly knows what it means to be saved is a person who is doing all that they can to love the Lord with all that they have within them, and they are doing all they can to love their neighbor as they love themselves. To be saved means that we are following the teachings and the commandments of Jesus. By doing this, we know that we have eternal life dwelling within us. We aren't saved by good works, we are saved unto good works. Good works are a natural outflowing of one who has Jesus within their heart. 

     Paul concludes our section by stating that we can only really follow the Lord and His commandments through His work within us. We have to be empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit to be able to live for Jesus in this world. We can't do anything through our strength alone. We need the help of the Lord, and we must rely on the help of the Lord in all things. 

     A person who has true faith in the Lord Jesus will be a person living in such a way that it is evident that Jesus is living within their heart. We must all strive to live each day for Jesus as the Spirit gives us the power. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying that I will get to full health. 

     Continue to pray for peace. Pray for peace in Israel and Gaza and pray that the ceasefire holds between Israel and Iran. Keep praying for peace in Ukraine and Sudan. Pray for peace wherever you know that there is conflict and strife within this world. 

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

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

Verses For The Week

 John 10:30 -- " I and the Father are One."

Colossians 2:9 -- "For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily."

The Weekend Sermon -- "Philippians 2:5-11"

    Thanks for taking time to read the message. I hope that all are well this week. I have been doing better, and I thank the Lord for that and for the opportunity to post this message. 

     Over the course of the last few weeks, we've been studying what the Lord has to teach us in the book of Philippians. Beginning last week, we started to see how important it is for believers to be people who are humble. Those who follow Christ are not to think only about themselves. They are to consider the needs of others. In fact, the text from last week instructed us to consider others more important than ourselves. 

     Just as He is in all things, Jesus is our ultimate example of what a humble life looks like lived out in this world. Paul tells us that Jesus cared about others more than He cared about Himself. He was the epitome of humility. 

     Our section of Philippians for today is known as the Christ Hymn. That is because of its poetic nature in the Greek, and it is due to the fact that many in the earliest days of the church used these words about Jesus in songs that were sung during the worship service. 

     In this section, Paul demonstrates for us the way in which Jesus was humble. First of all in verse 6, Paul unequivocally lets us know that Jesus was God. Jesus is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity who took upon Himself human flesh. He became God with us. 

     Even though Jesus was the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, He did not grasp on to that. What this means is that Jesus was willing to come to this earth and humble Himself by becoming a man. This was done out of the Lord's great love for us. He wanted to redeem us from the fall and provide forgiveness and new life for all who would call upon Him. 

     The humility of Jesus reached its full expression when He was willing to die upon the cross. He was humiliated, mocked and scorned while He was on the cross bearing our sins in His body. Yet, He was willing to do this so that we might be saved.

     Because He was willing to humble Himself and become obedient unto death, God has highly exalted the Lord Jesus and given Him a name above every name. One day, when Jesus returns in power and great glory, every eye will see Him. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. 

     Clearly, Jesus is our example of how to live a humble life. We are to care about others, and we are to be willing to sacrifice for others. We don't need to have our own way all the time. Life isn't all about us and having our wants and desires satisfied. Our life is to be lived under the Lordship of Jesus Christ in service to Him and to others. We truly serve the Lord and serve others when we are willing to tell others about the life changing power of a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. 

     Jesus came so that whosoever believes in Him might have abundant life. He desires that all people everywhere be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. You can come to Jesus today. I hope that you will. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

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

     Pray for an end to the heatwave that is gripping large portions of the US and Canada. 

     Keep praying for peace. Pray that the ceasefire holds between Israel and Iran. Pray for peace in Gaza. Pray for the release of the hostages. 

     I am thankful that there has been some advancement toward peace in Congo. 

     Let us keep praying for peace in Ukraine, Sudan and Yemen. 

     One thing that we need to pray about is the end to a lot of foreign aid that was helping some of the poorest and sickest people in this world. Unfortunately, the government of my nation and the UK have decided to stop funding many foreign aid programs in order to spend more on weapons. Let us pray that individuals, churches and those who are extraordinarily wealthy can step up and make sure that people still get the help that they need. 

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

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

Verses For The Week

 John 16:33 -- "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

Matthew 5:9 -- "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God."

Weekend Sermon -- "Philippians 2:1-4"

      It is once again time for the sermon, and I am glad that you've taken the time to check out the message for the week. I am doing fairly well, and I thank you all for your prayers on my behalf. 

     We finished up chapter one in our study of the book of Philippians. We are going to begin chapter 2 this week looking in to what Paul is going to develop in this chapter on the subject of humility. We will see in this chapter that in all things, we are to look to the example that we have been given in the person and work of the Lord Jesus. 

     Philippians 2:1 begins by telling us, "Christ encourages you, and His love comforts you." I know that this is so true from what I've experienced in my own life. I've mentioned before that I think life is hard. I've had a lot of struggles with my health especially. It is during these times that I feel the Lord Jesus encouraging me in my spirit to keep on going and to not give up. 

     I've also experienced times in my life when I feel that people don't really care about me too much. The only one who I feel truly loved me for who I really am was my friend Toby. That is why I write about him and talk about him so much. However, the love of Jesus for me is the greatest love that there is. I know that no matter how much other people let me down in this life, Jesus loves me. He is always there for me, and I can feel His love within my spirit helping me to make it through the ups and downs of this life as I attempt as best that I can to do His will in this world. 

     Paul goes on in verse one to say to the Philippians, "God's Spirit unites you, and you are concerned for others." Those who know Jesus as Lord and Savior are united one with another through the witness of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Jesus prayed that we all may be one. When those who are Christians work together to do the will of the Lord, that is pleasing to the Lord. Also, not always seeking our own way but being willing to join together with others is an important part of living a humble life. 

     Paul was pleased that the people were concerned about others. This is a big part of practicing humility. When we think about the things of others and not just on our own wants and desires, we are following in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus who was truly the man for others. 

     In verse two, Paul goes on to tell us about what humility is like and what he wants for the Philippians. He asks them to show love for one another. He asks them to be united as if they were a single person. A humble person will be a loving person. Love seeks what is best of the other. A loving and humble person is willing to do what is best for someone else even to their own detriment. 

     In verse three we read, "Don't be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves." Jealousy and pride are the opposites of true humility. A jealousy person is only thinking of himself because he thinks that he is more deserving of the good thing that has happened to someone else. Pride is the one of the sins that is declared in the Bible to be among the worst sins. Pride makes us think that we are better than other people, and that there are groups and classes of people that are less than us. This is so against everything that the Lord Jesus taught us. 

     We are to consider others as more important than ourselves, and Paul will tell us in verse four to care about others as much as we care about ourselves. This is in keeping with the words given to us by the Lord. Jesus told us to love our neighbors as ourselves. He also told us to do unto others as we would have done to us. We all need to focus on helping others and making sure that their needs are met. We need to treat others the way that Jesus treated people. 

     Jesus is our example of humility. We will see more about this next week. Let us all be those who love the Lord and love and care about others. We are able to to this as we experience the love of Jesus and the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

      Please keep praying in regard to my health. I thank the Lord that I haven't had problems with the storms so far. 

     We really need to be praying for peace this week. Iran, Gaza and Israel all need peace. People on all sides need to stop the violence. We need to seek the peaceful way of Jesus. Aid needs to reach the people of Gaza, and people need to be safe as they attempt to access aid. The remaining hostages need to be freed. We need peace in the Middle East. 

     Also, keep praying for peace in Ukraine, Sudan and Congo. 

     Please pray for an end to the disease outbreaks in the world. Pray that the measles outbreak in the US will end and that the mpox outbreak will end. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Albania 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 Tuesday. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week And Prayer Requests

      Please pray for peace. Also, please pray that we will not have bad storms and rain in my area in the next couple of days. I had problems with the last storm. Please pray. Thank you. 

I Corinthians 13:13 -- "And now these three remain, faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 

Romans 12:12 -- "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."

Weekend Sermon -- Philippians 1:27-30

      Thank you for once again reading the message for this week. I hope and pray that everyone is having a very good week. 

     Today, we are going to finish up chapter one in the book of Philippians. If you remember last week, we saw that Paul had a strong desire to go and be with the Lord. He wanted to be the Lord he loved and served. He had been suffering a lot. However, Paul knew that as long as he was on this earth, he still had the opportunity to tell others about the life changing power of Jesus. Whether he lived or died, he wanted his life to be all about serving the Lord and doing the best that he could to honor God. 

     Paul begins our section of Philippians today by instructing the people that they need to live in such a way that their actions bring only honor and glory to the Lord Jesus. That is what we are to do in our day and age too. We don't want to do anything that would cause someone to turn away from having a relationship with the Lord Jesus. Many people get turned off of Christianity because of the hypocrisy and meanness of those who say that they are believers. I believe that this is one of if not the major reason that so many people don't want to have anything to do with the Christian religion in the Western world. 

     We don't want to turn people away. We want to live in such a way that people see that we are people of love and goodness who follow the teachings and the commandments of Jesus. We want people to see Jesus is us. We need to be those who are loving God with all that we have within us, and we are loving our neighbors as ourselves. Also, we are following the rule that Jesus gave to His followers to do unto others as we would have done to us. 

     When we practice what we preach and follow the way of the cross, that will attract people to the message of Jesus. So many people would love to see those who say that they are Christians practicing a little bit of kindness in this world, instead of spewing out hate and acting like the devil. 

     Paul finishes out this chapter by telling the people in the church at Philippi to be brave in the midst of persecution. Jesus told us that in this world people would persecute His followers just as people persecuted Him. 

     When a believer faces persecution and criticism in this world, that is the time to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit who gives guidance, encouragement and comfort in and through all circumstances. 

     Whatever we face. Whatever we do, and wherever we go, we have the mission of telling people about Jesus. It is our mission to live in this world to glorify the Lord. Let us all serve the Lord and follow Him so that others will want to follow Him as well. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying for my health. I am having good days and bad. Also, please pray that the rains forecast this week in my area will not cause any problems. Thank you. 

     Please pray for peace on the streets of the US. 

     Pray for peace in Ukraine. Pray that aid will reach Gaza and that peace will come there. Pray for the release of the hostages. Let us also pray for peace in Sudan, Yemen and Congo. 

     Let us all pray for an end to the measles and mpox outbreaks. 

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

     Next week, we will start chapter 2 of Philippians. I will post the verses on Tuesday. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

 Isaiah 43:18 - "Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old."

 Luke 1:37 -- "For nothing will be impossible with God."

Weekend Sermon -- Philippians 1:20-26

      Thanks for reading the message this week. I hope that all of you are well. I am doing some better, and I am thankful that I have been doing ok through all of the stormy weather that we've been having. 

     Today, we will be continuing with our series on the book of Philippians. In our message last week, we focused on the importance of proclaiming the message of Jesus. 

     In our passage today, Paul begins by expressing that it is his desire to never do anything of which he would be ashamed. It was his hope and prayer to always do the things that brought glory and honor to Jesus. 

     This is an important message for all of us. First of all, as followers of Jesus, we should all want to live in such a way that Jesus would be pleased with what we are doing in our lives. We should never want to fall into a sin that would cause others to be turned away from the message of Jesus as a consequences of our actions. Furthermore, we would not want to be engaging in some sort of sin at the moment of Jesus' Second Coming. That would be a horribly shameful thing. We all should strive to live in the way that Jesus told us to live. As the Bible says, we want to live in such a way that people will see our good works and give glory to the Father in Heaven. 

     In verse 21 Paul states, "If I live, it will be for Christ, and if I die, I will gain even more." This should be our attitude as well. As long as we are living on this earth, we need to be following the teachings and the commandments of Jesus. We need to be sharing the good news of Jesus' love. As ambassadors for Christ, we need to be living in such a way that people will see Jesus in our words and in our deeds. Our lives need to be controlled by Jesus. He is our Lord. We follow Him, and He is to be the center and focus or our lives. 

    At death, those who are in Christ will go to be with Him in the place that He has prepared for those who love Him. That will be a great day. To die is gain as Paul says. Those who die in Christ will be with Jesus forever, and there is nothing better in all of the universe than that. 

     In the remainder of our passage today, Paul writes about a dilemma that he is having that I can really relate to. Paul is in prison. He could be executed at any time. He longs to go and be with Jesus. Life isn't really easy at all for Paul as he is writing this epistle. He wants to go and be with Jesus, but he also knows that he has things to accomplish on this earth. As long as he is living and working on this earth, he can continue to spread the message of Jesus and help those in the churches that he has worked to establish. 

     I can really relate to what Paul is saying. I've had some bad health problems since the time I was born. It all really gets me down a lot of the time, and I often long to be out of this world and be with the Lord. I can't wait to be with Jesus. However, I know that that Lord has a reason for me to be here. 

     Whether the Lord calls me home or wants me to remain here, it is all about Him. It is up to me to do what Jesus wants me to do at all times. I have to follow Him. He knows what is best, and I want to be committed to His Lordship. 

     In all that we do, let us follow and honor the Lord Jesus. Let us be good representatives of His while we are on this earth. Let us do all that we can so that we will not be ashamed when we stand before Him face to face. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I am thankful that I am making it through all the bad storms. Thank you for your prayers. Please pray that I will continue to get to feeling better. 

     Let us pray for peace. Israel and Gaza need peace. Pray that aid will reach the people of Gaza, and pray that the remaining hostages will be freed. Keep praying for peace in Ukraine, Sudan and Yemen. 

     Pray for an end to the measles outbreak here in the US. Pray for an end to the Covid outbreak and pray for an end to the mpox outbreak. 

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

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

     

Thinking About Traveling

       I've been wanting to go on a trip for a long time. I've been doing quite a bit of research trying to find the place that I would most want to go to. 

      Thinking about traveling and trying to plan out a potential trip has got me to thinking about some of the fun trips that I took when my friend Toby was with me. I've been thinking back and trying to decide what trip of all of the many trips that we took together was the most fun. It has been a difficult decision. However, I believe that our trip through South Dakota was the best. 

      When my Grandma was still living, we went each summer to visit her out in Wyoming. My Dad didn't like going back and forth on I-70 all the time, so we often planned alternate routes. One year, we decided to go up to and across South Dakota and see the sights before heading back down to Cheyenne, Wyoming. As always, Toby came along.

      Our first stop was in Sioux Falls. We planned for that to be just a stop over for the night, but we discovered the USS South Dakota monument and had a good time looking at that. Toby and I walked all the way around it and had a fun time in the park where the monument is located. 

     The next day, we went to Mitchell and checked out the Corn Palace. The exterior of the building is designed with grains to create a new image each year. It was pretty interesting. Years later, one of my cousins attended a college in this town. 

      From Mitchell we made our way to Chamberlain. This is a nice place next to the Missouri River. Toby and I explored all around the area and had a great time out in nature. 

      One of the things that you will notice if you travel in South Dakota are signs telling you how far you are away from Wall Drug in Wall, SD. We finally got there. Not too exciting. 

      Toby and I really enjoyed our time in the Badlands. The scenery is spectacular. In some ways, it reminds me of a planet in distant space. I highly recommend that you visit this area if you ever get the chance. The two of us walked around here some, but we were afraid of running into snakes.

     The area of the Black Hills is truly spectacular. We enjoyed being out in all the beauty of creation. We saw buffalo and pronghorn. My parents enjoyed Mount Rushmore, but Toby and I were not impressed. I do not recommend. If you are going to the Black Hills, concentrate on the natural beauty and not on people's imprint on the land. 

      From there we went down to my Grandma's house for a nice visit. I am so thankful to the Lord for allowing me to have so many good days with my friend Toby. 

Verses For The Week And a Prayer Request

      Please pray that we won't get flooding rains in my area today. Thank you.

Romans 5:8 -- "But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

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

The Weekend Sermon -- "Philippians 1:12-19"

      This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Thank you for taking the time to read the message. I pray that you are all well. 

     Today, we will be continuing our series in the book of Philippians concentrating our attention on what we can learn from chapter one verses 12-19. I want to focus on a couple of different things that Paul is teaching in these verses. 

     If you remember, Paul was writing this particular message while he was in prison. He was thankful that the people in the church at Philippi were thinking about him, and they were continuing in the faith that he had brought to them. 

     Even though he was in prison, Paul was able to see the good that had come as a result of it. Because he was in jail, he had the opportunity to share the message of Jesus with those who may have never had the chance to hear about Jesus in any other way. Paul was telling the Roman guards about the Lord. I am sure that some of them came to faith in Jesus, and they then went and told their family members and friends about what Jesus had done for them. 

     As people saw that Paul was still fearlessly preaching the word of the Lord, they began to boldly proclaim the message of the Lord as well. More and more people were getting to know how much Jesus loved them and that He wanted to forgiven them of their sins and give them a new life filled with peace and hope. 

     Some were not proclaiming the message of Jesus for the right reasons. However, Paul wasn't going to let this get him down. Regardless of their motives, the Gospel was being proclaimed. That is ultimately what Paul was concerned with. 

     There are two things that I want to bring out from this passage. This passage reminds me of something that was said about Joseph in the book of Genesis. Man meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. Something bad happened to Joseph as he was sold into slavery, but God used that to bring Joseph to the place where he could provide deliverance for the Egyptians and eventually his own family. 

    Paul was in prison. However, God used that as an opportunity for many people to learn about salvation in and through the Lord Jesus. 

     There are bad things that come into our lives. Some have many more bad experiences than others. However, God can take those bad things and make something good out of it to bring honor and glory to Himself. People might mean some bad things for our harm, but God can turn it around and make something beautiful for time and for eternity. 

     I also take from this passage that we have the responsibility like Paul to be those who boldly proclaim the message of Jesus wherever it is that the Lord has placed us. There are so many people around this world who need to know that Jesus loves them. The Lord wants us to tell others about Him. Hopefully, each of us is doing something to fulfill the Great Commission given to us by the Lord to go into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. 

     We should always be glad when we hear that the Gospel is reaching people and changing lives. Let us do all that we can to tell the world that Jesus lives. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I am still having some trouble with my arm where the dog bit me. I am also once again having a lot of joint pain. Please pray that I will get to feeling better. Thank you.

     We must keep praying for peace in the troubled areas of this world. Ukraine needs peace. We need to pray that aid reaches people in Gaza and that the remaining hostages are freed. Pray for peace in Congo, Chad and Sudan. 

     Keep praying for those who have suffered loss as a result of natural disasters. 

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

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

Verses For The Week

 Galatians 3:28 -- "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

Revelation 7:9-10 -- "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."'

The Weekend Sermon -- "Philippians 1:7-11"

      Thank you for reading the message this week. I hope that you are all doing well. I am doing much better. I also want to thank the Lord that the bad storms in my area didn't cause any damage where I live. 

     For the past couple of weeks now, we've been in a series where we are going to be going chapter by chapter and verse by verse through Paul's letter to the Philippians. In the message last week, I made the main focus Paul's words about the Lord bringing to completion the good work that He has begun in us in the Lord Jesus. We are becoming more and more like Jesus everyday until that day when we see Him face to face. The Lord will not abandon us along the way. 

     Today, we are moving on with the verses 7 through 11. In verse 7, Pau reiterates the fact that the people in Philippi have been very helpful to his mission of spreading the message of Jesus throughout the world as he knew it at that time. Even though Paul was in prison when he was writing this message, he was still preaching about Jesus. He was telling all those with whom he came in contact about the grace and mercy of the Lord. That is our mission as well. 

     In verse 8, Paul tells the Philippians that he cares for them in the same way that Jesus cares for them. In other words, Paul wanted what was best for the people. He wanted them to mature in the faith and grow closer to the Lord every single day. He wanted them to have the best life that it is possible to have this side of Heaven. And it is all so that we can do more and more for Jesus and make sure that others know about the joys that come from following Christ. 

     Beginning in verse 10, Paul tells the people what his desire is for them. He states, "I pray that your love will keep on growing, and and you will fully know and understand how to make the right choices. Then you will still be pure and innocent when Christ returns."

     In I Corinthians 13, Paul told us that love is the greatest of all things. Love is what the Christian faith is all about. God is love. It is all about love. In order to be what the Lord Jesus wants us to be in this life, we have to be those who love. 

     Jesus told us about the primacy of love in at least three ways. First of all, Jesus said that we are to love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength. He went on to tell us that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. He then went on to give a new commandment that we are to love each other even as He has loved us. God is love, and those who live in love live in God. 

     We have to keep growing in love. To me that means first of all growing closer to Jesus. When His life fills us, we can then spread His love to others as it flows out of our inner being. 

     Love manifests itself in doing what is right. We live out love when we choose to do what is right. What is right is following the commandments and teachings of Jesus. Living in love is following the example of Jesus and doing what He did while He was in the world. 

    Another aspect of love is loving the things of God. That to me means living a life of holiness that is pleasing to God. It means that we flee the things of this world and its lusts. We cling to the things of the Lord. We do not lay up treasure on earth, but we seek to lay up treasure in Heaven. We do it all for the honor and the glory of the Lord. 

     Paul goes on to say that until the day that Jesus returns, we are to be busy doing what is good and bring glory and praise to God. We know that one day, Jesus will come in power and great glory. We do not know the day nor the hour of His appearing. We do know that we have been told to live in the expectation that the Lord could come at any moment. We should be doing what we have been told to do by the Lord when He comes. 

     Until the day that Jesus comes or we go home to be with the Lord, we should do good deeds and do all that we can to make this world a better place. We need to tell others about Jesus. We need to spread hope and be peacemakers. We need to do all that we can to help the least of those who are among us. 

     Let us all live in love. Let us love God and love others. Let us show our love not in just in words, but in deeds as well. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying that I will continue to improve in all aspects of my health. Also, please pray that the owner of the dog that attacked me will do the right thing and pay for my medical bills. Pray as well that the storms predicted for this weekend will not be bad. 

     Pray that the leaders of my nation will stop taking from the poor in order to give more to those who are rich. 

     Keep praying for peace. Ukraine, Gaza, Israel, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, South Sudan, Chad and Congo all need our prayers for peace.  Pray that aid will reach Gaza. Pray that the hostages will be released. 

     Let us pray for those affected by the tornadoes here in the US. Pray that they will get the aid and the help that they need. Our government has stopped helping many people, so individuals are going to have to pick up the slack as the Lord enables. 

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

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

Verses For The Week

      Hebrews 11:1 -- "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

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

     Psalm 31:24 -- "Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord."

Weekend Sermon -- Philippians 1:3-6

      Welcome to the Weekend Sermon. I am very glad to be able to post the message this week after everything that has happened. On May 4th, the neighbor's German shepherd mix jumped the fence, ran across the street and attacked me while I was standing in my yard. I had to go to the emergency room and have stitches in my arm a tetanus shot and a course of antibiotics. I've had extensive bruising and soft tissue injury. It has all been a very upsetting experience to say the least. Please pray that I will keep recovering both physically and mentally from this episode. 

     Before we get into the message this week, I want to mention something I didn't get to mention last week. Last week was my friend Toby's birthday. He was the best. Totally not like this dog who attacked me. I am glad that Jesus gave Toby to me to be my friend. That dog saved my life, and I know we will be together again someday. 

     Last time, we began a new series of messages on the book of Philippians we started off by looking at what the book of Acts has to day about some of what Paul did while in Philippi. We then looked at the first two verses of chapter one.

     Today, I want us to focus on verses 3 through 6 with an emphasis on verses 6. 

     In verse 3, Paul tells the people that he always mentions them in his prayers, and goes on to say that thinking about them makes him happy. I hope that you have people that you regularly pray for. It is important to have people that mean something to you to pray for. I also think that it is important to have a few people that you pray for on a regular basis that they might come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord. Knowing that God hears and answers prayer makes me happy because I know that I am doing something to bring change in people's lives. 

     Paul was happy when thinking about the believers in Philippi due in part to the fact that they were his partners in spreading the Gospel. They helped him with their prayers and more than likely financially. With the support of people like those in Philippi, Paul was able to take the message of the love of Jesus to many places. 

     It it important that we support those who are working to spread the message of Jesus around the world. We can certainly pray for those who are missionaries and Christian workers seeking to tell people that Jesus wants to have a relationship with them. We can also, as God enables us, support those who are faithful in sharing the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

     Now, I want us to focus on verse 6 that says, "God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that He won't stop before it is complete on that day that Christ Jesus returns." God is the one who saves us. When we hear the message of the Gospel, the Holy Spirit convicts our hearts of sin and for the need of salvation. The Lord gives us the gift of faith so that we can choose to accept or reject the message that we have received. Salvation is not of works. We are saved by grace through faith. Salvation is the gift of God. God is the one who has started us off on the path that leads to life. 

     As we walk through this life, we begin a process of growing in our knowledge of the Lord. We grow closer to Him. We mature, or we should mature, in the faith. It is a process of moving upward as we are led by the Lord Jesus. He is with us every step of the way. 

     In Romans 8 it tells us that we have been justified by the Lord. That means that we have been declared righteous. The Lord Jesus has taken our sins and imputed His righteousness to us. Romans 8 tells us that those who have been justified will also be glorified. This means that one day when Jesus returns, we will receive a new body like the glorified body of Jesus. All of the old will be done away and all will be made new. We will be with Jesus forever. There will be no more sin, death, sorrow or suffering. 

     While we are in this time between our justification and our waiting for glorification, we are in the process of sanctification. We are to be becoming more and more like Jesus everyday. We can't do this on or through our own efforts. We receive help and power through the indwelling Holy Spirit who is continually drawing us closer to Jesus. 

     One thing that verse 6 really helps me with is that the Lord Jesus won't abandon me. He won't turn on me so to speak. He is going to be with forever. He will never leave me nor forsake me. No matter what may happen, Jesus will be there and He will be there all the way through eternity. I've had many people turn on me. Most everyone actually except my friend Toby. But, Jesus has never failed me, and I know that He won't. One day, I will be with Him in the place that He had prepared for those who love Him. 

     It is my hope that you have put your faith and trust in what Jesus has done for you through His death and glorious resurrection. Jesus came for everyone. He loves everyone, and He wants you to come to Him. He will begin a good work in you, and He will complete it. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please pray that I will keep on the road to recovery with my dog attack. It has affected me physically and mentally. Also, please pray that I will be able to get the medical bills paid. Thank you. 

     Pray for the people of Gaza. They need aid to reach them. That whole area needs peace. Also, pray that the hostages are freed and that there can be peace in Israel, Syria, Yemen and throughout the Middle East. 

     Keep praying for peace in Ukraine. We also need to pray for peace in Sudan, South Sudan, Chad, Congo and continued peace between India and Pakistan. 

     Because of the cuts in aid by the US government, many people are really hurting all over the world. Please pray that people, churches and other governments can step up and help those who need help in this world. Pray that the US government won't turn its back on those who need help the most. 

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

     Next week, I will post the verses on Tuesday. I will wait at least one more before posting more of the new book. I may start over. I will post the sermon on Friday, and we will continue with our current series. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week And An Update

      I am recovering from being attacked by the neighbor's dog. I will post the verses this week, and the sermon will be posted on Saturday this week. I am going to hold off posting the new book on Wednesdays for a couple of more weeks. Please pray that I will keep getting better, and pray that the neighbors will do the right thing and pay the medical bills for this incident. Thank you. 

Verses:

Psalm 119:105 -- "Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Matthew 6:33 -- "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Update

      There will be no posts this week. I was attacked by my neighbors dog last night, and my arm is in bad condition. I will try to resume posting next week with the verses for the week. 

The Weekend Sermon -- "Philippians 1:1-2"

      It is once again time for the Weekend Sermon, and this week we have a new beginning. I hope that all of you are doing well. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to post this message. 

     Last week, we looked at one of the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. Prior to that, we'd been discussing the subject of faithfulness. Starting today, and for several weeks to follow, we will be studying verse by verse through the book of Philippians. 

     Let's begin with a little introduction. We can read about Paul's ministry in the city of Philippi in Acts chapter 16. While Paul was ministering in another area, he saw a vision given to him by the Lord of a man calling for him to come come over to Macedonia and help. Macedonia was in the northern part of Greece. 

     Paul and his companions went to Philippi. On the Sabbath day, they went down by the river to pray and saw a group of women there. At that time, a woman named Lydia became the first one to accept the message of the Gospel and become a follower of Jesus. Paul and his companions stayed at her house, and a new church started there. 

     After preaching in Philippi for awhile, Paul encountered trouble with the local authorities. He and Silas were thrown into prison. While in prison, they began to sing and praise God. A great earthquake came, and the jail was virtually destroyed. The jailer was going to kill himself fearing that all of the prisoners had escaped. However, Paul stopped him by assuring him that they were still there. Paul and Silas went to the jailer's home where he and his entire household became followers of Jesus. Paul and Silas were released, and then Paul went to Thessalonica. 

     Paul wrote several letters to the churches that he founded on his missionary journeys. Philippians is one of these letters. Paul begins in verse 1 by identifying himself as the author of this letter. He then goes on in verse 2 to say, "I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and bless you with peace!"

     I find this to be an exceptionally nice greeting. By this greeting and throughout the letter, one can tell that Paul cared a lot about the people and the church at Philippi. He prayed for the Lord to be kind to them. That is something that we can pray to the Lord for others. What could be better than to have the kindness of the Lord rained down into someone's life. The Lord is kind to us in so many ways.

     I know that I have experienced the kindness of the Lord in my life. The Lord showed me His kindness by allowing me to have a relationship with Him. He has shown me His kindness by being present with me in all that I go through in this life. Through His kindness, I had my friend Toby with me for so many years. The Lord in His kindness allowed me to be a writer and to be able to play music and sing. 

     I hope and pray that the kindness of the Lord will be in your lives. 

     Paul also prayed that they might be blessed with peace. Peace is so much needed in this world. There is a personal peace that is in our hearts, and there is peace that comes from an absence of external conflicts. I pray that you may all have peace. And I hope that you will join with me as we pray for the peace of those in the troubled areas of this world. 

     I hope that each of us this week can do something kind for someone. I hope that we will work for peace in all areas of our lives. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I am on vacation from my job this week, and I thank the Lord for this break. Pray that my health will improve during this time off. Thank you. 

     Please pray that the terrible fires in Israel and surrounding areas will be extinguished. 

     Pray for an end to war. Also, pray that aid can reach the victims of war. It is not right to keep aid and help from children and hurting people. Pray for peace in Gaza, Ukraine, Israel, Sudan, Congo and in all of the areas of the world where there is no peace and justice.

     Let us all keep praying for aid to reach those suffering as a result of natural disasters including those in Mayotte, Thailand, Myanmar and the US southeast. 

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

     Next week, we will continue in Philippians. I will post the verses on Tuesday and the next selection in the Psalms book on Wednesday. May God bless you all. 

     

Thirty Weeks of Psalms -- Psalm 4

      For a Psalm of only eight verses, there is a lot for us to unpack in Psalm 4. Starting with verse one, David, the author of this particular Psalm, asks the Lord to hear his prayer. David is distressed over the fact that his enemies are trying to bring shame and hardship upon him. 

     David knew something from experience. He knew that when he called upon the name of the Lord, the Lord heard him and delivered him from those who would seek to do him harm. 

     David says in verse 3, "the Lord has set apart the faithful for Himself." David knew that as long as he was being faithful in following the way of the Lord, the Lord would help him. 

     This is true in our lives. We will have times of trouble and distress as we go about living our lives. However, the Lord is faithful to us. Jesus has told us that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He is the same yesterday, and today and forever. We can count on His promises. We can know that no matter what life throws at us, the Lord Jesus has prepared a home for us in Heaven where we can be with Him and in His presence for all eternity. 

     In this Psalm, David tells us that when distress, hardship and problems come into our lives, that is not a time to be tempted and fall into sin. Hard times often lead people to fall away from the Lord. However, we can rejoice and keep our faith in God because we have the assurance of His love and provision. We know that our Father in Heaven loves us and will ultimately bring gladness and joy into the hearts of those who have placed their faith and trust in His dearly beloved Son. 

     Finally, David's final words in this Psalm can be for us too. He tells us that he will lie down and sleep in peace. This is because the Lord allows him to lie down in safety. We can rest knowing that the Lord is preparing the way before us. The Lord is guiding and ordering our steps until the day we see Him face to face. 

Verses For The Week

  Galatians 6:2 -- "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

   Luke 14:11 -- "For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

The Weekend Sermon -- "A Second Chance Offered"

      Thank you for taking time to read this week's message. I hope that everyone had a happy Easter. May you all have a good week. 

     Last week, we rejoiced in the fact that Jesus has risen from the dead. He defeated sin, death, hell and the grave. Because He lives, we can have eternal life with Jesus forever if we put our faith and trust in Him. 

     In our message today, I want us to focus on one of the encounters that Jesus had after He rose from the grave. Before He ascended into Heaven, Jesus was on the earth for a period of 40 days. Paul tells us that during this time, Jesus appeared to many people including the apostles and over 500 others. 

     The post-resurrection encounter that I want us to focus on today is found in John 21. First, we need to set the stage. When Jesus was arrested and taken to trial, the Bible tells us that Peter followed to see what was going to happen to Jesus. Over the course of the evening, Peter would go on to deny that he knew or followed Jesus three different times. After his third denial, Peter heard a cock crowing, and he remembered that Jesus said that he would deny Him three times before the cock crowed. Peter was devastated. 

     When Jesus rose from the dead, I am sure that Peter remembered that he had denied the Lord. I am sure that he wondered what Jesus' response would be to him. Would things be the same again? 

     Jesus appeared to the disciples when they were out fishing. They toiled all night but caught nothing. Jesus told them to cast on the other side of the boat, and they did. They made a miraculous catch. Peter knew that it was Jesus, and he swam back to shore to see Jesus. 

     After breakfast, Jesus and Peter took a walk together. Jesus asked Peter three times if Peter loved Him. Peter said that he did love Jesus, and Jesus asked him to feed His sheep. The reason that Jesus did this was to show Peter that He had forgiven Him for each of His three denials. He offered forgiveness and a second chance for Peter to follow Him. Peter accepted Jesus' second chance, and Peter went on to do great things for the Lord. 

     There are times when all of us through the course of our lives do things that we know are not right. We do things that are sinful and displeasing to the Lord. We do things that grieve the Lord's heart. But the Lord Jesus offers us His forgiveness. He offers us another chance to come back to Him, serve Him and follow Him in His way. We have to accept His forgiveness and set about doing the things that He has called us to do. 

     If you have something in your life that is keeping you back from serving the Lord Jesus, confess it and ask the Lord to forgive you. He will. You can then begin again to serve Him and make a difference for Him in this world. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     After what seemed like a period of improvement at work, things are getting really bad again. I am back to looking for something else. Please pray for me.

     Pray for those recovering from the earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand. Also, pray for those trying to recover from the storms in the southeastern part of the US. 

     Keep praying for an end to the measles outbreak here in the US. Get vaccinated if you haven't been vaccinated. 

     Let us pray for peace. Ukraine needs our prayers for peace with justice. We also need to remember Sudan, Yemen and Congo in our prayers. 

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

     Next week, I will post the verses on Tuesday. I will start posting the Psalms book on Wednesday. The message will be posted on Friday. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week And An Update

     I mentioned that I was going to start posting the new Psalms book this week. That will start next Wednesday. Thank you. 

Psalm 24:1 -- "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to Him."

Colossians 1:16 -- "For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him."

Proverbs 12:10 -- "The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel."

The Weekend Sermon -- "From Despair To Hope"

      Christ has Risen? Happy Easter to all. I hope that you have all had a good week. I thank the Lord for giving me the opportunity to bring this message today. 

     In this week's previous posts, we've seen that Jesus was betrayed, put on trial, and crucified. While on the cross, Jesus bore our sins in His body according to the Scriptures.

     After Jesus' death on the cross, He was taken from the cross and buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. A stone was rolled in front of the tomb, and Roman soldiers were placed in front of the tomb in order to guard against the disciples coming to steal Jesus' body. 

     On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene, along with some other women, came to the tomb. When they arrived, they saw that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb. By the tomb, the angels declared to the women that Jesus was not there. He was alive and had risen from the dead. 

     Later, Jesus would appear to these women and to Mary Magdalene. He told them to go and tell His disciples that He had risen from the dead. 

     What did the women find when they went and told the disciples what they had experienced? They found the disciples in despair and fear. John 20:19 tells us, "On the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!"

     The disciples could not understand what Jesus had taught them about the fact that He was going to be crucified and then He would be raised from the dead. They were in fear and they were in despair about what their futures where going to be. And they were not alone. In the book of Luke when Jesus appeared to the two travelers on the road to Emmaus, He found them downcast and in despair as well. They had pinned their hopes on Jesus. The believed that Jesus was dead and gone, and they were in despair. 

     In both of these instances, the Risen Lord turned despair into hope. Jesus appeared in the flesh to His disciples huddled in the locked room. He said, "Peace be with you." Because Jesus had risen from the dead, there was no need for them to fear. Jesus had conquered the grave and was alive forevermore. All that He had told them and promised them had come to pass. 

     The same thing happened with the travelers on the Road to Emmaus. When they were breaking bread with one another, they recognized the Risen Christ. Their despair was turned to hope, because Jesus was the Victor over the the grave. 

     This world was in despair before Jesus came. We were all in sin and darkness. Sin brought death as a consequence because the wages of sin is death. But, Jesus who is the Light of the World came, and His light has overcome the darkness. 

     When Jesus died on the cross He took our punishment and bore our sins in His body. His death dealt with the problem of sin. When Jesus rose bodily from the grave, His resurrection dealt with the consequences of sin. In Revelation chapter 1, Jesus tells John in verse 18, "I am the Living One, I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and hades."

     Because Jesus conquered the power of sin, death and hell, those who are in Christ do not have to fear death. When a person puts his or her faith in Jesus, their sins are forgiven. Those who die in Christ go immediately to be with Jesus in Heaven. When Jesus returns, everyone will receive a glorified body like the glorified body of the Risen Lord. Since Jesus has the keys of death and hades, we do not have to fear death and hell. Jesus is the Victor. 

     You can have forgiveness of sins and new life in Jesus by coming to Him in repentance and faith. Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins. Believe in your heart that Jesus has been raised from the dead, and make Jesus the Lord of your life. If you come to Him, He will not cast you aside. Whosoever will may come and know the Risen Lord. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying that I will get to feeling better. I am still having some problems. However, I am doing better in some ways as well. 

     Pray for those in Myanmar, Thailand and in the US Southeast who are recovering from natural disasters. Pray that they will get the help that they need. 

     Please keep praying for an end to the measles outbreak. Also pray for an end to other disease outbreaks in this world. There is still an mpox outbreak in parts of Africa. I believe that there is a vaccine for mpox, so I hope that people are able to obtain it. I know that there is an effective measles vaccine, and people need to get their children vaccinated. 

     Keep praying for peace. Ukraine needs peace. Russian aggression needs to come to an end. Also, pray for peace in Sudan, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and other areas of the world facing conflicts. 

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

     Next week, I will post the verses on Tuesday. We will be starting something different next week. On Wednesdays, I will start posting 30 weeks 30 Psalms. Please look for that. I will post the sermon on Friday. May God bless you all. 

Good Friday

  God sent to take away the sins of the world. On the cross, Jesus took upon Himself the punishment that we rightly deserved for our sins. He took our sins in order that we might be forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness. The Bible says that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

     What I am really focusing on during this Good Friday is the incredible suffering that Jesus went through. First of all, He had the suffering of being betrayed by one of His closest followers. He was then mocked, slapped and ridiculed over and over again. He suffered so much physically. Crucifixion is an incredibly horrific and painful way to be put to death. Jesus suffered as He took the sins of the world upon Himself. And, He suffered as He felt separated from the Father crying out "My God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me?" He did it all because of His great love for us. 

     Whenever I feel physical or emotional suffering, I know that Jesus went through pain and suffering as well. He knows and understands what I am going through. The Bible says that He is a high priest touched with the feelings of our infirmities. I thank the Lord that He is always with me helping me to keep going. 

      Jesus did all that He did for us because He loves us. He desires that all respond to His love and come to Him for forgiveness of sins. He wants to give you an abundant life now, and everlasting life with Him in the future. Call upon the name of the Lord today. 

Maundy Thursday

      Before He went to the cross, Jesus broke bread with His disciples in the Upper Room. There, He explained to them that the bread represented His body that was to be broken for them. The cup was the representation of His blood that was to be shed for them. Whenever they ate the bread and drank from the cup, they were remembering His death until the time that He was to return to this earth to restore all things. 

     During the time when Jesus instituted the sacrament of Holy Communion, He also washed the feet of His disciples. He was demonstrating for them that they were to serve and not to seek to be served. They were to live lives of service helping each other and helping others to know about Jesus and to have the best lives that they could have while on this earth. 

     Jesus said in John 13:34, "A new command I give you. Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must also love one another." Jesus went to the cross and shed His blood because of His great love for us. He wanted to redeem us from our sins. He wanted us to have a relationship with Him that would last into all of eternity. 

    Jesus called us to love one another because love is what will allow us to be like Jesus in this world. When we love each other, we will want to share the good news of the message of Jesus with others. When we love each other, we will want to help to meet each others needs. We will reach out to the world in love so that others will be able to have a good life. 

    On Maundy Thursday, Jesus demonstrated loving service. He has called us to do the same as we live out our lives until He comes. Amen. 

Verses For The Week

 Philippians 4:6 -- "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

Colossians 4:2 -- "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving."

The Weekend Sermon -- "Palm Sunday"

      Welcome to the Weekend Sermon for Palm Sunday weekend. I am glad that you are taking the time to read the message for this week. I hope that all of you are having a very good week. 

     Last week, we finished our series on the topic of faithfulness. Today, I will bring a message centered around Palm Sunday. Next week, the blog schedule will be a little different. I will post the verses on Tuesday, and then there will be posts on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and I will post the Easter message on Saturday. The following week, I will start posting chapters of the new book on each Wednesday. 

     Palm Sunday has always been one of my favorite Sundays of the church year. In my church growing up, we never really had a special emphasis on Palm Sunday and Holy Week. However, when I started going to another church when I got older, we always had really nice Palm Sunday services. I enjoy the parade of palms and the singing of Hosanna in the Highest. It is good to sing praises to the Lord. One church in my area has a reenactment of Palm Sunday that includes someone acting as Jesus riding into the church on a real donkey. 

     When I think of Palm Sunday this year, I am thinking on two rides. First of all, on the first Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. The people praised Him and laid the palm branches in His path. The crowd recognized who He was, if only for a moment. 

     Jesus knew why He was riding into the city and what would occur in just a few short days. He was riding in to die on the cross as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. The people called out Hosanna on Palm Sunday. However, in just a few days, the shouts would turn to crucify Him. We have no king but Caesar. 

     I thank the Lord Jesus that He was willing to come into Jerusalem and die that this universe might be redeemed from what had gone wrong. Because of who He is and what He has done, all of us need to give our praise to the Lord each and every day. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to be praised and to receive all honor and glory.

    This Palm Sunday, I am also focusing on the fact that the Bible says that at the end of the age, Jesus will make a second ride. The Book of Revelation states that Jesus will return to earth riding on a white horse. The white horse is a sign of power and authority. The Roman rulers often rode in on white horses when they entered cities. Jesus is coming in power and great glory when He returns. He is not coming back as the suffering servant. He is returning as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. His rule and reign will have no end. All things will be restored to the Edenic state. 

     While we are waiting for the return of Jesus Christ, it is important that we follow the example of life that He set before us while He was here on earth. He showed us and taught us the right way to live. Right now, things are hard on this earth. In my country we are having what I see as just the beginning of perilous times. All of those who name the name of Jesus and confess Him as Savior and Lord need to stand firm in following the Way of Jesus in this troubled world. We must stand with Jesus until we meet Him at our death or until we see Him returning to this world to make everything right and the way that it should be. 

     As we serve Jesus now and wait for His return, let us praise the Lord with all that is within us. Let us magnify the Risen King. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     I am still having some health issues, so please continue to pray for me. Thank you. I have survived the stormy weather so far. 

     Pray for those who have been taken to El Salvador and wrongly incarcerated. Pray that the innocent will be released. Pray that no one will be denied the due process of law. 

     Let us continue to pray for those in Myanmar and Thailand who are recovering from the earthquake. Pray that they will receive that aid and the help that they need. Also, pray for those in the US affected by the storms and flooding. Keep praying for Mayotte. 

     Remember to pray for peace. Pray for peace in Ukraine. Pray for peace in Israel, Gaza, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Sudan. 

     Here in the US, there is an outbreak of the measles. Pray that people will get their children vaccinated. Pray for an end to this outbreak. 

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

     I have already mentioned what we are doing for the upcoming week. I pray that many people who don't know Jesus as Savior will read the blog and trust in Jesus this week. May God bless you all.