The Weekend Sermon -- "Faithfulness -- Part 5"

      Thank you once again for reading the weekly message. I hope that all of you are well. I am finally starting to recover from my illness. I thank the Lord Jesus that I am doing better. 

     Today we will once again focus our attention on the topic of faithfulness. In our message for today, I want us to look at an important commandment given to us by the Lord Jesus, and how we are to be faithful in carrying out what the Lord has asked us to do. 

     Just before Jesus ascended back into Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father to make intercession for us as our advocate, He gave His followers then and now an important commandment to follow. We read about this in both Matthew's Gospel and in the first chapter of the book of Acts. Matthew 28:19-20 states, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

     Jesus has called all of us who are His followers to go out into this world and proclaim the message of His love and forgiveness. The command wasn't just for people back then. It is applicable to us now just as much as back then. 

     The Lord Jesus wants everyone to be able to know about Him, and He has called us to be the ones to spread the good news. It is not just the pastor's job or the evangelist's job. It is the command to all of us to do what we can to tell others that they can have a new life in Jesus Christ. 

     I know that every one of us can find some way to be witnesses for the Lord where the Lord has us in this world. We can be faithful in carrying out the Great Commission in some way. 

     One way to carry out the Great Commission is to find ways to talk about God and the things of God at work and in your social gatherings. Don't ever hesitate to tell others about what Jesus has done for you. We can all share our faith with our friends, family members, neighbors and colleagues. 

     Another important way to share the faith is to live in such a way that people see Jesus working in you. We are called to live according to the values of Jesus and not according to the ways of this world. When people see that we are doing good and following Jesus, they will see our good works and give glory to the Father in Heaven. 

     Maybe the Lord has a specific ministry in mind whereby He wants you to spread the message of the Gospel. Maybe He is calling you to be a pastor, teacher, missionary or evangelist. If He is, heed the call. Do what God has called you to do in order to make a positive impact for Him in this world. 

     However we chose to be faithful in fulfilling the Great Commission, we must know that we can't do in our own strength. We can only tell others about Jesus and be His witness in this world through the power of the Holy Spirit. In Acts, Jesus told the faithful to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit. Then, when they were filled with the Spirit's power, they would be able to be witnesses for Him in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the world. 

     Jesus is with us when we are faithful in telling others about Him. He will never leave us, and He will never forsake us.  With that in mind, let us all be faithful in telling others about Jesus and how He can save them from their sin and give them an abundant life now and eternal life in the world to come. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     As I mentioned, I am feeling better. Please keep praying that I will make a full recovery. Also, please pray that things will go better at work. Thank you. 

     Keep praying for peace. Ukraine, Sudan, Gaza, Israel, Yemen, Lebanon, Chad, Congo and Haiti all need our prayers right now. 

     Pray that some leaders in this world will stop wanting to take over other people's lands. 

     Unfortunately, many nations are cutting back on aid to other countries. This is causing much heartache in the world. Pray that this gap in funding will be able to be made up so that people who are in desperate conditions can get the help that they need. 

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

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

Verses For The Week

 Titus 2:11 -- "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people."

John 1:16 -- "And from His fulness we have all received grace for grace."

The Weekend Sermon -- "Faithfulness -- Part 4"

      I am sorry that I was not able to post the verses this week. I have been very ill with a lung infection. I am doing a little better, but I am still not that great. I have to go back in to see the doctor on Tuesday. Please pray that I will get to feeling better. I do hope to get back in the swing of things on the blog this week starting with the sermon being posted today.  I hope that all of you are doing well. 

     For the past three weeks or so, we have been studying some of what the Bible has to teach us in regard to faithfulness. We've looked at faithfulness in sacrifice, faithfulness in holiness and we saw that God is always faithful to us and to His word even when we lack in our faithfulness to Him. 

     Today, I want us to look at what the Bible has to say about being faithful in doing what is good. First of all, the Bible is quite clear that those of us who have been redeemed by the grace of God are called to do good deeds in this world. Ephesians 2:10 states, "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."  This means that when we are born again, we are called by God to go out and do good in this world and make it the best that it can be until the day when Jesus returns to this world in power and great glory. 

     Just for added emphasis on the fact that those who are in Christ are to be out trying to do good in this world we have the passage from the book of James that let's us know that faith that does not produce good works is a dead faith. It is an example of an empty profession of faith and not a true possession of faith. 

     What type of good works should we be faithful in doing. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 13:16 that part of being faithful in doing good is sharing what we have with others. This verse states, "And do not forget to do what is good and share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." 

     We also know from the teachings of Jesus what type of good works that we are to be doing in this world. We are to be faithful in doing good to the least of those among us. We are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and help the vulnerable and hurting people in our society and world. Jesus told us that when we have done it unto the least of those among us, we've done it unto Him. 

     Just as a side note, there is a movement among conservative Christians right now that is saying that empathy for others who are hurting is a type of a sin. This is false in every way. Jesus in His ministry was all about empathy. He felt the pain and hurt of others, and He worked to alleviate it. That is what He has called us to do. We are to weep with those who weep. We help the broken and hurting in the name of Jesus because that is what He did. 

     Jesus was clear, we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are to treat others in the same way that we want to be treated. When those claiming to be Christians try to get you to stop helping the hurting and vulnerable in society, what they are really trying to do is provide a religious justification for greediness and oppression. 

     In Galatians, the Bible tells us to never be weary in doing good. There are many problems in this world, and there are many people in this world who need our help. Christians must be at the forefront of helping this world be as good a place as it can be for everyone until Jesus returns. 

     During this Lenten season, and beyond, try to find ways to help others and to do good. As St. David the patron Saint of Wales said. we need to do be faithful in doing the little things. We need to in our own individual small ways contribute to the overall good in society. Each small good deed adds up into making a great world of difference. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Once again, please pray that I will get to feeling better. Thank you. 

     Pray for peace on this earth. Fighting has resumed in Gaza, pray for peace. Pray for release of the hostages. Pray for peace in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. Pray for peace in Chad, Congo and Sudan. Pray for peace with justice in Ukraine. 

     Continue to pray for those recovering from natural disasters. Pray for those in Mayotte. 

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

The Weekend Sermon -- "Faithfulness -- Part 3"

      This is the day for the Weekend Sermon, and I am thankful that the Lord has given me the opportunity to post it. I hope that you are all doing well and having a very good week. 

     Last week, we continued with our series on faithfulness. Since it was the week that was the beginning of the Lenten season, we focused on the theme of being faithful in our sacrifice for the Lord. For today, I want us to continue with the theme of faithfulness, and I want us to focus on the theme of being faithful in holiness. 

     I don't often quote from the book of Joshua here on the blog, but one of the verses I want to bring to your attention today comes from Joshua 24:14 that says, "Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshipped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord."

     One of the major parts of being faithful to the Lord is obedience and holiness. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 12:14 that, "without a life of holiness, no one will see God." The Lord expects those of us who believe in Him to live our lives in accordance with what He has told us to do. Those who are not willing to make the attempt to follow the way of the Lord are like those we read about in the book of James who only had a profession of faith. They did not have a true possession of faith. They said they had faith, but they did not have the works in their lives that demonstrated that they really had faith and really had the desire to live the life of holiness that God had called them to live.  

     When the Lord calls a person to follow Him, we are called to leave the old ways and the old life of sin behind us. Hebrews 12 tells us that we are to lay aside the sin that easily besets us, and we are to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. 

     We know that living a life of holiness means that we are to lay aside sin, but what does it mean on a deeper level? First of all, the Bible says that sin is failing to do what we know is good. We read this in James 4:17. We know what is good and right from the life and the teachings of Jesus, that is why the Bible tells us to keep our eyes on Jesus. He lived a holy and sinless life. He is our example in this world as to how to live a life that is pleasing to God. If we follow the teachings and the commandments of Jesus, we will be able to do what is good as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. 

     The Bible tells us that there are some things that lead us astray. Sin is following these things that are the opposite of the way of the Lord. In I John 2:16 it states, "For everything in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - come not from the Father but from the world." Seeking to gratify the flesh, being filled with greed and selfishness, and being prideful lead us away from God and into sin and immorality. 

     The Lord Jesus calls us to be faithful to Him and follow Him. Jesus told us succinctly what it takes to live a life of holiness. He told us that we are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus said on these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. 

     During this Lenten season and beyond, let us strive to be faithful in living lives of holiness. We can do it as the Spirit gives us power. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     Please pray that we won't have bad storms again in my area this week. Thank you. 

     Pray that there will be peace in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Syria, Yemen, Sudan and wherever war and conflict are present in this world. 

     Keep praying that aid will reach those harmed by natural disasters. Please keep praying for Mayotte. 

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

     Now for an announcement. I am currently working on my new blog book project. I am calling it 30 weeks of Psalms. If you remember a couple of years ago, I posted a short message on 30 Psalms for 30 straight days. This year, it will be a little different. On the Wednesday after Holy Week, I will post a short message on a Psalm for 30 weeks. I hope you will read the messages. The Psalms will be different than the ones I previously wrote about. 

     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

 Psalm 33:20 -- "We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield."

John 10:10 -- "The thief comes only to kill and to steal and to destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

The Weekend Sermon -- "Faithfulness -- Part 2"

      Thank you all for your prayers in regard to the windstorm. We did have a lot of wind, but it wasn't as bad as predicted. I've not noticed any damage around the house. Thanks be to God. Thank you for reading the blog this week. 

     Today, we will once again be looking into some of what the Scripture has to say on the subject of faithfulness. I want us in this message to focus on faithfulness in our sacrifice to the Lord. 

     This week, we began the Lenten season leading up to Holy Week and Easter Sunday. Lent is the time when we prepare ourselves through sacrifice and repentance recognizing what Jesus has done for us through His life, death and bodily resurrection from the grave. 

     One of the religious disciplines that believers engage in during the Lenten season is fasting. Another is renouncing something. When we fast, that is also a good time to engage in prayer. We are bringing our physical body into subjection as we focus our spiritual self on concentrating on the things of God. 

     In Matthew 16:24, Jesus tells us that be faithful in sacrifice for Him is like taking up our cross. He says, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let Him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me."

     During this Lenten season, I want to challenge all of us to be faithful in our sacrifice to the Lord in three areas. First of all, let us be faithful in fasting. I am going to fast for lunch on Good Friday, and I am also going to fast at least one other time during Lent. I hope that all of us can do that much. 

     I also want us to be faithful in sacrifice in prayer. During this season, let each of us give more of our time to praying for the needs of others around the world, and let us spend more time praying for peace in the troubled areas of this world. 

     In the days of lent, people often give up as a sacrifice to the Lord something that is important to them. This Lent, I am giving up candy bars. That might not seem like much, but I really like them. I want to do it because I want to demonstrate to the Lord that I can do this small thing in thanks for the tremendous sacrifice that He made on the cross. I hope that all of us can find one thing that we can sacrifice during this Lenten season. 

     Being faithful in sacrifice means that we will do what we have set out to do in honor of our Lord. We might not be able to do it in our own strength, but we can do it through the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Amen

 Prayer Requests

     Please pray that I can get the problem with my car taken care of.

     Right now, I want us all to really pray about the situation in Ukraine. The actions of the President of my country are not right in this. Pray for a just peace in Ukraine. Pray that those who are the aggressors  will stop their aggression. Pray that God will give wisdom to the leaders of the world in regard to this situation. Also, let us keep praying for peace in Israel and Gaza and pray for the release of all the hostages. Keep praying for peace in Sudan and in the other troubled areas of this world. 

     Continue to pray for those in Mayotte who need help recovering from the storms. 

     Pray for an end to the diseases plaguing the world right now including ebola, mpox, covid and the flu. Pray for an end to the measles outbreak in Texas.

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

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

Verses For The Week and Prayer Request

      Before I post the verses, I have a very important prayer request. The area where I live is supposed to have sustained winds of almost 70 mph tonight. If that happens, I won't have a house. Please pray that these winds don't come through with this type of power. Thank you. 

Romans 10:17 -- "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."

II Corinthians 5:7 -- "For we walk by faith, not by sight."