Verses For The Week

 I John 1:5 -- "This is the message that we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all."

John 14:15 -- "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."

Weekend Sermon -- "Mark 8:22-25"

      Once again, I would like to thank you all for taking the time to read this week's message. I hope that this week has been a good one. 

     Last week in our message, we took a one week divergence from out study in Mark. Today, we get back into what the Lord has to teach us from this book. 

    Our passage for today is one of the turning points in this Gospel. While the events in the story did actually happen, the healing has a deeper symbolic meaning. 

    First off, after Jesus fed the four thousand, He encountered a blind man who needed to be healed. The first thing Jesus did was to take the man out of the village. He then spit on the man's eyes and asked him if he could see anything. The man said he saw men walking around like trees. Jesus touched Him again, and the man's vision was completely restored at this point. Jesus then instructed him not to return to the village. 

     As I said, this did happen. However, Jesus performed the miracle in this way to show a greater spiritual point. 

     We are all like the man who was blind. We have no spiritual sight whatsoever. The Bible says that we are dead in our trespasses and sins. We need someone to show us how to see things in a new way. We need our vision transformed. 

     Jesus took the man out of the village, and he had to be willing to let Jesus lead him out. In order to have our eyes open and our hearts set free, we have to have the desire to move from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of His glorious light. A lot of times, a person comes to a realization of the truth of who Jesus is in stages under the guidance and grace of the Lord. By the grace of the Lord, we begin to see more and more what the truth is and that we need a Savior. We begin to want to be moved from darkness to light. 

    Then, there comes a time when by His grace we come to place our complete faith and trust in the finished work of Jesus on the cross and His glorious resurrection. We accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord and move completely out of darkness into the light of the abundant life that only Jesus can bring to us. 

    Once we have come to faith and trust in Jesus, we don't want to go back to the old way of life. We want to keep looking to Jesus who is the author and perfector of our faith. We don't look left nor right. We do not look back. We keep looking to Jesus and we follow the narrow way that leads to life. 

     Next week, we will see how this miracle was a turning point in the life of the disciples. They began to see more clearly who Jesus was and that revelation would be even more clear when they saw Him risen in power and great glory. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please pray that the rains being predicted in much of the USA this week will not be as bad as forecasted. 

     Keep praying for peace. Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan all still need prayer.

    Pray for an end to Ebola.

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

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

Verses For The Week

 John 3:17 -- "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

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

Weekend Sermon -- "The Lord's Grace"

      It is time once again for this week's sermon. Thank you for reading it. I want to thank the Lord for giving me this ministry, and I hope that you are having a great week. 

     In our message today, we are going to step back from our study in the book of Mark this week because I want to bring a message about something that has been on my mind a lot recently. It has to do with the grace of God. 

     Grace can best be defined as God's unmerited favor. That means God giving us and providing us with good things not based on us doing something to earn or deserve it. He does it just because He cares for us and wants to provide the best for us. 

     As you know, I have sold my house and moved. Over the course of the last few weeks as this entire process has carried itself out, I have been looking back over the course of my life. Something really stood out to me in my reflections. I have been the recipient of the grace and goodness of the Lord over and over and over again. It is not through any good deeds on my part, it is all because of the goodness of the Lord. 

    One of the examples of God's grace in my life is the fact that He allowed me to be born in a Christian home to parents who showed me what it meant to live out one's faith for the Lord Jesus. By God's grace I was able to go to a Christian school and study and learn more about Him. 

    It was only by God's grace that I was able to beat the odds and make it through my early years and be here today. I was born with a congenital immune system problem and was not expected to live too long. But by the grace of God, I am still standing and moving forward trying to serve Him each day as He enables me to do it. 

     Another outstanding example of the grace of God at work in my life was finding my friend Toby. There was no way we would have ever come together unless the Lord Jesus made it all work out the way that it needed to work out. It is one of the defining points of my life finding him. 

    God's grace was also at work in allowing me to find a great teacher to help me learn about classical music and jazz. Some may say it was just the luck of the draw. But, I know that it was the grace of God. God providing for me more than I could ever ask or imagine out of His great goodness and love for me. 

    There have been numerous good things and good times that have happened in my life like becoming a writer and finding the right job that would not have happened except by the grace of God. It is all because of Him that I am what I am today and I have the things that I have today. It is all of Him and none of me. 

    The greatest gift of God's grace in my life is salvation through the finished work of Christ on the cross and through His glorious resurrection. It was not through any goodness or works of righteousness on my part that I am redeemed. It is all through what Jesus did for me. He took my sin and imputed His righteousness within me. By grace I have been saved. 

    I hope that you will look back this week at the many instances of God's grace in your life. And give Him thanks for all that He has done. If you have never come to know the grace of God through Jesus, I hope you will receive His gift of grace today. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying for me as I try to move into the new aspect of my life. Transitions are difficult, but your prayers make a difference. 

     Keep praying for peace. This is really on my heart right now. All of the battles and strife in the Middle East and Iran need to stop. We need peace in Ukraine now. The battle in Sudan needs to stop. So many are suffering. Pray for peace in these and in the other war torn areas of the world. 

     Pray for my friend at work who is having a hard time with his health. He has had an operation that has gone badly. 

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

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

Verses For The Week

      John 1:16 -- "For from His fulness we have all received, grace upon grace. 

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

Weekend Sermon --"Mark 8:1-21"

      Thanks for reading the message. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to post the message. May the Lord's peace be with you this day. 

     Today, we are moving into chapter 8 as we continue our study in the Gospel of Mark. Earlier, we saw that Jesus had fed the five thousand. In our passage today, Jesus has a similar situation. He feeds four thousand this time, and the disciples still beforehand didn't understand that Jesus could perform this miracle. This is unbelievable to me. 

     After Jesus had fed the people, the Pharisees had the temerity to ask Jesus for a sign. He already gave them one. So, Jesus said that He wasn't giving them any more signs and walked off. 

    At that point, Jesus told the disciples to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod. The disciples thought He was upset about them not bringing bread. 

    Jesus was exasperated with them at this point. He recounted to them the miracle of the five and four thousand being fed. Don't you understand? Jesus was probably just shaking His head. 

     What are we to make of this passage? What are some lessons that we can derive from it?

     I want to point out first that Jesus makes it clear that He fed four and five thousand on separate occasions. Some more liberal Bible scholars point to this passage as a mix-up or discrepancy in the Bible. It is not. They were two different miracles, and Jesus says so Himself. That is one reason He is so upset with the disciples and their lack of understanding.

     Next, what is the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod. This is interesting. Leaven is often used metaphorically in the Bible to represent something added that is impure. That is why unleavened bread was used. I think what Jesus is specifically referring to is the leaven of hypocrisy. That was the great sin of the religious leaders, and Jesus called them out on it time and time again. They did not practice what they preached. 

    More specifically in this context, they were trying to be deliberately obtuse in asking for a sign. They were just trying to cause trouble. Jesus had had enough of it. 

    We must be people who practice what we preach. We cannot say one thing and do another. If we claim to be followers of Jesus, people expect us to live according to a certain standard. To say we believe yet not follow the teachings and commandments of Jesus is the height of hypocrisy. It is one of the main reasons so many people are turned off of religion. 

    Now, to address what Jesus said to the disciples. They saw so much yet they did not understand. Sometimes the things Jesus said are difficult to grasp. However, Jesus does not give up on those who are trying. He kept on with these guys, and eventually, they saw the truth about Him, and they went and preached all over the world. 

    Sometimes, I think we do understand but say we don't so we have an excuse not to do what we know Jesus wants us to do. That is more of the yeast Jesus was speaking of. 

    Let us all strive to live out what we believe and practice what we preach. Let us always ask the Spirit to reveal the truth of the Word to us. Amen.

Prayer Request

     I purchased a new vehicle this week. I thank the Lord for His help. 

    Please keep praying for peace in the world. Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan still need our prayers. 

    I want to thank the Lord that the Cyclospora has passed. Keep praying for an end to the Ebola outbreak. 

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

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

Verses For The Week

 Proverbs 21:21 -- "Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness and honor."

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

Weekend Sermon -- "Mark7:31-36"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prayer Requests

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

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

    Pray for and end to Ebola and Cyclospora.

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

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

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

Verses For The Week

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

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

Weekend Sermon -- "A Reflection On Life"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prayer Requests

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verses For The Week

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prayer Requests

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

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

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

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

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

Verses For The Week and An Update

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

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

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

Update and prayer request

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

The Weekend Sermon -- "Mark 7:1-23"

    Thank you for joining me for the message again this week. It is always a privilege and a pleasure to post these messages. I hope that everyone is doing OK. 

     We finally made it through Mark 6 last week, so that means we start chapter 7 this week. Our passage today is long, but it contains two core messages. 

     The religious leaders of Jesus' day were always trying to trap Him or get Him in trouble so as to discredit Him in the eyes of the people. On this occasion, they observed that Jesus' disciples did not do the ritual hand washing before they ate. They saw this as a grave violation, and they brought it to Jesus' attention. 

     Jesus used their criticism to launch a message about what was really important. He started by telling them about the importance of really following the way of the Lord verses simply following a tradition. Jesus used the example of the religious leaders saying that if something had been pledged to God they couldn't even use it to help their father or mother. Jesus said that this was a clear violation of the commandment to honor father and mother in the Ten Commandments. 

     Jesus made it clear that what goes into a person from the outside is not what spiritually defiles a person. On the contrary, what defiles a person are the actions that are manifested from a spirit that is not aligned with the Spirit of the Lord.  Jesus then finished His discourse by saying what the behaviors were that demonstrated the true defilement that comes from within. These include greed, slander and arrogance. 

     The first thing I want to point out in Jesus teaching is what He said about people following traditions instead of the clear teachings of the word. There is a lot of that that goes on today. People condemn others and make rules and regulations that don't have any basis in the Scriptures. 

     In the churches I grew up in as a boy, the tradition that was taught and enforced is that is was wrong for a man to have longer hair or a beard. There is nothing in the Bible about this. It is man made rules. Also, many churches I knew back then had a rule or tradition that the pastor had to be married. This is actually in contradiction to the teachings of Jesus and Paul. 

     What we need to do in our lives is to concentrate on putting into practice the things actually taught by the Lord. We could all do well to live according to the Golden Rule and the Great Commandment and the second commandment to love one's neighbor as oneself. If we would focus on those, the other things would all fall into place. 

     I also want to point out what Jesus was saying about what defiles a person. There aren't many places in the Gospels where Jesus outlines things that are sinful. This is one passage. Jesus says clearly, that adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly are sins. We would all do well to heed the words of Jesus and make sure that these behaviors are not a part of our lives. When Jesus speaks about things like this, we need to pay very close attention. 

     If we focus on following the exact and clear teachings of the Lord Jesus, we will not go or be led astray. Let us all follow Him and His Way until we see Him face to face. 

Prayer Requests

     I have sold my house, and things are progressing. However, I am having an issue finding a new place to stay. I get the money for the sale on Monday. Then, I am going full bore into finding a place. Please pray I will find one quickly. 

     Keep praying for an end to Ebola and Cyclospora outbreaks. Pray that the sick will recover. 

     Remember to keep praying for peace. The Middle East and Ukraine and Sudan all need our prayers. 

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

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

Verses For The Week

 Ecclesiastes 3:1 --"To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven."

Galatians 6:9 -- "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

The Weekend Sermon -- "Mark 6:45-56"

     Thank you again for reading the sermon this week. I really do enjoy posting these messages, and I hope that you get something from reading them. I am particularly enjoying going through Mark as this is the first time on the blog I have gone through a Gospel chapter by chapter and verse by verse. 

     As I am sure you are aware, we are studying through Mark. Today, we are going to be finishing up chapter 6. We have been in chapter six for quite some time. 

     In our passage for today, we see the miracle of Jesus walking on the water. Jesus had just performed the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand. The crowd had dispersed. The disciples got into some boats to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. However, Jesus did not join them. Instead, He went out into a lonely place in order to spend time in prayer. 

     During the course of their trip, the disciples ran into a big wind and they had to row against it in order to make progress on their journey. While they were rowing, Jesus was walking along the water. He was going to go right by them, but He heard the disciples cry out in fear because they thought that He was a ghost. 

     Jesus told them it was Him, and that they did not need to be afraid. He came over and got into the boat, and immediately the winds and the waves died down. The disciples were amazed. They still didn't understand who Jesus really was. 

     When they all came to the other side, the people were wanting to see Jesus. Whoever even touched His garment were healed and delivered. 

     The first lesson I believe that we have from this story is that Jesus is able to overcome the problems and storms of our lives. In this story, Jesus walked right on the stormy waters. He was able to calm the raging seas. 

     There are a lot of bad things that we go through in this life. We can face sickness, depression, loneliness and financial devastation. Jesus has the power to help us to make it through all of the things that life can throw at us. He delivers us through the storms of this life. 

     One way or another. Now, or in eternity, we will be delivered by the power of the Lord if we are in Him. Nothing can separate us from Him. Things may look bleak and dark, but He has the power to make sure that we will ultimately be with Him for all eternity. 

     While we are here on this earth, Jesus tells us to not be afraid. He is looking out for our best interests. He is helping us, leading us and showing us the way. He is guiding us in the way that is right for us until we see Him face to face in that place that He has gone to prepare for those who love Him. 

     We are in His hands. We need not fear. Jesus has the power, and His love and presence will get us through. 

     The final thing I want to point out today is that Jesus cared about everyone. The people came from all over and He ministered unto them. He loved everyone, and He loves you. He understands what you are dealing with. He is Savior, Lord and King. What is so amazing is that He wants to be with us and help us. He cares. Amen. 

    Prayer Requests. 

     Please keep praying about the house sale. Pray that everything will go right. Thank you. 

     Keep praying for peace. Ukraine is where I want us to focus our prayers this week. 

     Remember to keep praying for an end to the Ebola and cyclospora outbreaks. 

     Pray for those dealing with natural disasters. Pray that they will get the aid and the help that the need. 

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

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

Verses For The Week

      Hebrews 9:24 -- "For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one, He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. 

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

The Weekend Sermon -- "Mark 6:30-44"

      Thank you once again for reading the message for the week. I hope you have all had a good week of serving the Lord and enjoying the good things in this life. 

     If you have been with the blog for a little while, you know that we are currently in a series of messages on the Gospel of Mark. We are right now in chapter 6. 

     Today, our focus is going to be on an event that is recorded in all four of the Gospels which is the feeding of the five thousand. It has a lot to teach us on a multitude of different levels. 

     Our text for the day tells us that Jesus was preaching to a great crowd of people. They had been listening to Him all day. They needed to get something to eat, and the disciples wanted them to disperse and get some food. However, Jesus told them to give the people something to eat. Of course, they didn't have enough, but Jesus performed a miracle whereby even a small amount of food was enough to feed 5,000 people. It was a truly profound miracle. 

     The first thing I want to point out about this parable is why it is included in all of the Gospels. It is the only miracle in all four. Why is it so important to warrant this? It is because what it is demonstrating about the person and work of Jesus. 

     In His Sermon on the Mount when Jesus reinterprets the law, He is showing that He is greater than Moses the lawgiver. In this miracle, He is doing that again but in a different way. While Moses was leading the people in the wilderness, manna came from Heaven and fed the people. But Moses is not the one who gave the bread to the people. 

    In this miracle, by His power as God come in the flesh, Jesus is the one who gives the people bread in the desert. He is greater than Moses, as He is the source of sustenance. 

    There is also something very spiritual going on with this miracle. It shows that Jesus is the Bread of Life and the one that can provide what is necessary to sustain a person's soul. He Himself is the Bread that has come down from Heaven. He is the one who gives His life, His love and His forgiveness as true spiritual food. He truly is the Way, the Truth and Life. Only Jesus can provide what is necessary for abundant life now and in the world to come. 

    Now, there are a couple of other things I would like to point out in regard to this passage. Jesus tells the disciples that they are to give people something to eat. This works on both the physical and the spiritual level. 

    As followers of Jesus, we have the obligation to help to meet the physical needs of the poor and the hurting who are in this world. We have to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. We have to help people to have what they need to have the kind of life Jesus would want all people everywhere to have. That is one of our primary duties and one of the primary duties of the church working in this world. 

    We as Jesus' followers also have the duty to share His message and tell others that Jesus is the Bread of Life. He is the one who can forgive them and save them from their sins. He is the one who is able to deliver us from death, hell and the grave. We are to go into all the world and preach the Gospel and teach people about who Jesus is and what He has done. 

    Let each of us receive the blessings of the Lord. Let us share with others the goodness of the Lord. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying that all will go well with the house sale and with me finding a new place. Thank you for your prayers. 

     Keep praying for peace. Ukraine, the Middle East, Sudan, Myanmar and Sudan all need our prayers. 

     Pray for those suffering as a result of natural disasters. Pray that they will receive the aid and help they need. People in Venezuela, Japan, Spain, Canada and France all need our prayers. 

     Remember to pray for an end to the Ebola outbreak and the Cyclospora outbreak in US. 

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

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

Verses For The Week

 Luke 9:23 -- "Then He said to them all, whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me."

Ephesians 5:15 -- "be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise."