I don't write on this blog too often on Sunday, but I had something on my mind today. I've been reading a book lately that deals with the early days of the Christian religion. The book got me thinking about how much different the Christian religion seems to be from the life and teachings of Jesus.
For instance, most Christians have elaborate rituals for baptism, the eucharist, confirmation as well as a host of Christian religious festivals. These were all developed over the course of church history. A lot of what we do in the church has actually been brought in and borrowed from old pagan sources.
The church seems to totally forget the festivals and rituals recorded in the Scripture. We seem to forget that Jesus was a Jew who celebrated all of the Jewish religious festivals. I'm not saying as Christians we have to celebrate all of these. It wouldn't hurt. For instance, the Bible says that Jesus celebrated Hanukkah, but Christians usually don't mention it at all. If it was important to Jesus, why isn't it important to those of us who are His followers? It's just a thought.
Another thing I've been thinking a lot about recently is the fact that much of the Christian message has been over complicated. What I mean by this is that Jesus' teachings are not difficult to comprehend. His teachings are quite plain. They are very difficult to follow, but they aren't hard to understand. At least they aren't in my opinion.
Take the Sermon on the Mount for instance. Jesus said you can't serve God and money. That is pretty straightforward, yet books are written trying to figure out a way around it so as Christians we can make it mean something else and not have to follow it. This is true for much of Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount.
If the followers of Jesus would follow His way and teachings, the world would be a profoundly different place. Love would reign, and so would peace. Every need that everyone could possibly experience would be met.
Hopefully, Jesus will return to earth soon and establish His eternal kingdom that will have no end. Then, all will be as it was intended to be. So much of what goes on in church and the Christian religion that is so different from Jesus' teachings I wonder, as Jesus wondered Himself, if He will find any true faith left on earth when He returns.
Just a few thoughts on Sunday afternoon.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Weekend Sermon
Welcome once again to another edition of the Weekend Sermon. It is good to be with you once again this week. I hope that everyone is doing well.
Last week, I asked those of you who read this blog to pray about my employment situation. There has been one positive step. However, it is small step. In order to remain in my current job, I had to take a test and pass it. This last Wednesday, my friend Douglas did me a great favor and drove me over two hours to the testing center. I passed the test. Thank God. I don't know how much good it is going to do. Please, keep praying that the Lord will work in this situation. All of the financial struggles are making me very depressed.
Let us all keep praying about the Ebola situation. The virus continues to spread. Let us pray for an end of this vicious disease. Let us all continue to pray for peace in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Ukraine.
In the message last week, I wrote about the love of Jesus. I hope that the message has stayed with you this week, and that you continue to remind yourself that no matter what may transpire in this life, Jesus loves you. He has prepared a place for you, and one day, we will be with Him for all of eternity.
In today's message, I want to focus on a theme that I've dealt with sporadically in the past here on the blog. In past messages, I've written about the fact that just because a person is a Christian, he is not immune from the problems of this world. I've written about the fact that I believe that Jesus offers us an ultimate hope.
With this in mind, I've been thinking about some individuals in the Scripture who had a rough time in life. They were tremendous men of God, but they suffered from disease, depression and poverty throughout their lives on this earth.
One individual I've been thinking quite a lot about recently is the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah was called by the Lord at a young age. He was told that he could not marry nor was he to have any children. Jeremiah's task was to warn the people that judgment was coming in the form of an invasion by the forces of Babylon.
Jeremiah was often depressed by his task. In Jeremiah 20:14 Jeremiah states, "Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me not be blessed! In verse 17, Jeremiah states that he wishes that his mother's womb would have been his grave. Jeremiah was definitely depressed.
In spite of facing persecution and obvious depression, Jeremiah remained faithful to his task, and he proclaimed the message given to him by God.
Job is probably the great Hebrew Bible example of a man who faced enourmous burdens in life for no apparent reason. Job lost all of his children, all of his wealth and his health totally collapsed. On top of all that, his wife was of no support whatsoever, and his friends seem to me to have been more trouble than they were worth.
In spite of all of these burdens, Job did not curse God and die as his wife suggested. Instead, Job remained faithful to the Lord.
In the New Testament, Lazarus is someone who I have thought a lot about lately. I am speaking here about the Lazarus in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus and not the Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead.
Lazarus laid at the rich man's gate. He was homeless and had nothing to eat. Lazarus was covered with sores, and the dogs would come and lick his sores. This wasn't something comforting. In the society in which Lazarus lived, dogs were not looked upon as pets as we think of them today. They were considered unclean and horrible creatures. To be licked by a dog meant that you had fallen to the lowest level you can go to in life.
As far as many of the religious people in Jesus day would have been concerned, Lazarus must have been a great sinner to be in such circumstances. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. In spite of his misfortunes in life, Lazarus was taken to Heaven when he died. All of the troubles of his life were a distant memory.
The Lord Jesus is the greatest example of a man who lived a holy life yet was persecuted and had nothing. Jesus was without sin. He only went about doing good and teaching the path of love and righteousness. In spite of this, He was despised and rejected by men who cried out, "crucify Him. We will not have this man to rule over us."
Jesus died on a cross. This was considered a curse in Jesus' day. Only the wicked were crucified. However, God the Father demonstrated that He was well-pleased with everything that His Son did on this earth when God raised Jesus from the dead on Easter morning.
These four individuals are important to me right now each for different reasons. Jeremiah demonstrates to me that even though I might be suffering from depression, that doesn't mean that I am forsaken by God. Jeremiah was a tremendous servant of the Lord in spite of his depression. The Lord knew that what Jeremiah was going through was hard, and the Lord never condemned Jeremiah for expressing his anguish and depression. Some Christians claim that a true believer will not be depressed. Tell that to Jeremiah.
Job is an inspiration to me because he faced hell on earth and kept going. I told you last week that I felt like I was at the lowest point in life on three different occassions. Job faced it all. He never gave up on the Lord. Job was told by those around him that he must have some kind of sin in his life that caused all of his misfortune. Job knew better. At the end of the book of Job, God states clearly that those who condemned Job had spoken wrongly about him.
Lazarus demonstrates to me that just because you may not have a lot of money, fame or power, you are still dearly beloved by God. No one I know of in the Bible had it worse that Lazarus, but he loved the Lord. And the Lord loved him.
Finally, I look to the highest example of Jesus. He suffered and was rejected, but He was without sin.
This life will not always be easy. These four examples demonstrate this. A person can follow the Lord faithfully and still face hardship. Being a believer does not provide immunity from despair, depression, sickness and hardship. But, being a believer does provide an ultimate hope, and that is what the Christian faith is all about.
Those who have put their faith and trust in the person of Jesus Christ have the assurance that this life is not all that there is. Beyond this vale of suffering, there is an eternity with the Risen King of Creation.
Problems may beset us now, but it will not always be that way. One day, when we are in the presence of Jesus, all will be well. There will be no more poverty, sickness, depression, anxiety, war, famine or any other problem that the human mind can fathom. All will be put right in the presence of Jesus. That is the ultimate hope. That is my ultimate hope.
Like me, your life may not be what you want it to be now. Look to Jesus. One day, it will all be well.
So what do we do in the meantime. We follow the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. We recognize that when we have an ultimate hope in Jesus, even death is not something to worry about. Those who are in Christ can rest assured that this life is but a vapor that is soon passing away. Those who remain faithful to the Lord will rule and reign in righteousness with the King of Kings. I hope that day comes soon.
Next week, I will once again post a sermon. I will try to do a book review midweek. May God bless you all . Amen.
Last week, I asked those of you who read this blog to pray about my employment situation. There has been one positive step. However, it is small step. In order to remain in my current job, I had to take a test and pass it. This last Wednesday, my friend Douglas did me a great favor and drove me over two hours to the testing center. I passed the test. Thank God. I don't know how much good it is going to do. Please, keep praying that the Lord will work in this situation. All of the financial struggles are making me very depressed.
Let us all keep praying about the Ebola situation. The virus continues to spread. Let us pray for an end of this vicious disease. Let us all continue to pray for peace in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Ukraine.
In the message last week, I wrote about the love of Jesus. I hope that the message has stayed with you this week, and that you continue to remind yourself that no matter what may transpire in this life, Jesus loves you. He has prepared a place for you, and one day, we will be with Him for all of eternity.
In today's message, I want to focus on a theme that I've dealt with sporadically in the past here on the blog. In past messages, I've written about the fact that just because a person is a Christian, he is not immune from the problems of this world. I've written about the fact that I believe that Jesus offers us an ultimate hope.
With this in mind, I've been thinking about some individuals in the Scripture who had a rough time in life. They were tremendous men of God, but they suffered from disease, depression and poverty throughout their lives on this earth.
One individual I've been thinking quite a lot about recently is the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah was called by the Lord at a young age. He was told that he could not marry nor was he to have any children. Jeremiah's task was to warn the people that judgment was coming in the form of an invasion by the forces of Babylon.
Jeremiah was often depressed by his task. In Jeremiah 20:14 Jeremiah states, "Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me not be blessed! In verse 17, Jeremiah states that he wishes that his mother's womb would have been his grave. Jeremiah was definitely depressed.
In spite of facing persecution and obvious depression, Jeremiah remained faithful to his task, and he proclaimed the message given to him by God.
Job is probably the great Hebrew Bible example of a man who faced enourmous burdens in life for no apparent reason. Job lost all of his children, all of his wealth and his health totally collapsed. On top of all that, his wife was of no support whatsoever, and his friends seem to me to have been more trouble than they were worth.
In spite of all of these burdens, Job did not curse God and die as his wife suggested. Instead, Job remained faithful to the Lord.
In the New Testament, Lazarus is someone who I have thought a lot about lately. I am speaking here about the Lazarus in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus and not the Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead.
Lazarus laid at the rich man's gate. He was homeless and had nothing to eat. Lazarus was covered with sores, and the dogs would come and lick his sores. This wasn't something comforting. In the society in which Lazarus lived, dogs were not looked upon as pets as we think of them today. They were considered unclean and horrible creatures. To be licked by a dog meant that you had fallen to the lowest level you can go to in life.
As far as many of the religious people in Jesus day would have been concerned, Lazarus must have been a great sinner to be in such circumstances. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. In spite of his misfortunes in life, Lazarus was taken to Heaven when he died. All of the troubles of his life were a distant memory.
The Lord Jesus is the greatest example of a man who lived a holy life yet was persecuted and had nothing. Jesus was without sin. He only went about doing good and teaching the path of love and righteousness. In spite of this, He was despised and rejected by men who cried out, "crucify Him. We will not have this man to rule over us."
Jesus died on a cross. This was considered a curse in Jesus' day. Only the wicked were crucified. However, God the Father demonstrated that He was well-pleased with everything that His Son did on this earth when God raised Jesus from the dead on Easter morning.
These four individuals are important to me right now each for different reasons. Jeremiah demonstrates to me that even though I might be suffering from depression, that doesn't mean that I am forsaken by God. Jeremiah was a tremendous servant of the Lord in spite of his depression. The Lord knew that what Jeremiah was going through was hard, and the Lord never condemned Jeremiah for expressing his anguish and depression. Some Christians claim that a true believer will not be depressed. Tell that to Jeremiah.
Job is an inspiration to me because he faced hell on earth and kept going. I told you last week that I felt like I was at the lowest point in life on three different occassions. Job faced it all. He never gave up on the Lord. Job was told by those around him that he must have some kind of sin in his life that caused all of his misfortune. Job knew better. At the end of the book of Job, God states clearly that those who condemned Job had spoken wrongly about him.
Lazarus demonstrates to me that just because you may not have a lot of money, fame or power, you are still dearly beloved by God. No one I know of in the Bible had it worse that Lazarus, but he loved the Lord. And the Lord loved him.
Finally, I look to the highest example of Jesus. He suffered and was rejected, but He was without sin.
This life will not always be easy. These four examples demonstrate this. A person can follow the Lord faithfully and still face hardship. Being a believer does not provide immunity from despair, depression, sickness and hardship. But, being a believer does provide an ultimate hope, and that is what the Christian faith is all about.
Those who have put their faith and trust in the person of Jesus Christ have the assurance that this life is not all that there is. Beyond this vale of suffering, there is an eternity with the Risen King of Creation.
Problems may beset us now, but it will not always be that way. One day, when we are in the presence of Jesus, all will be well. There will be no more poverty, sickness, depression, anxiety, war, famine or any other problem that the human mind can fathom. All will be put right in the presence of Jesus. That is the ultimate hope. That is my ultimate hope.
Like me, your life may not be what you want it to be now. Look to Jesus. One day, it will all be well.
So what do we do in the meantime. We follow the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. We recognize that when we have an ultimate hope in Jesus, even death is not something to worry about. Those who are in Christ can rest assured that this life is but a vapor that is soon passing away. Those who remain faithful to the Lord will rule and reign in righteousness with the King of Kings. I hope that day comes soon.
Next week, I will once again post a sermon. I will try to do a book review midweek. May God bless you all . Amen.
Monday, October 13, 2014
Verse For the Week--
Matthew 13:45-46 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!"
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Weekend Sermon-- The Love of Jesus
The Weekend Sermon is a day later than normal once again. My life is a mess right now. I am doing the best that I can.
As many of you know, I am having a bad time with my job right now. I am too upset to talk much about it. I would ask that you pray for me that I will be able to find a new job very quickly. I have way too much stress right now working where I am working. I have to get out of there. Lord, please let me find a job fast. Once again, please be in prayer for me on this very important matter.
I want to thank the Lord that so many new people have been reading the blog. May God bless you all.
Let us all be in prayer for those suffering from Ebola. Please pray that all of this ends soon. Let us continue to pray for peace in Syria, Ukraine, Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan among many other nations that need to have peace.
Today's message is not going to be very long. Its just something that I have been thinking about for the last several days. I don't really know why this topic has been on my mind.
In I Peter 3:18-22, the Bible talks about Jesus preaching to the spirits in prison. Elsewhere in I Peter, the Bible says that the gospel was preached to the dead. These two verses are often used as the Scriptural text for the statement found in the Apostle's Creed that Jesus descended into hell.
There are a variety of interpretations as to what these verses actually mean. I don't really want to go into all of that in my message today. What I want to focus on is one theologians take to what Jesus descending into hell means. According to this particular person, Jesus descending into hell signifies that there is no place in the universe that the love of Jesus does not reach.
Another theologian said that it signifies that even when we are at our lowest point, Jesus is there.
I think that both of these interpretations have something very valuable to say to us. First of all, there is no place that the love of Jesus does not reach. Jesus loves everyone. He came into this world to share His love with everyone who was ever born. While He was on this earth, Jesus shared His love with those who were looked down upon and despised by others in society. I think that if there was some person that others rejected and found unlovely that these were the people that Jesus loved the most.
You may feel today that no one loves you or cares about you. I have felt that way a lot recently. Don't fall into that kind of thinking. Jesus loves you. I have to remind myself of that. Work and life are hard right now. There is a lot of negativity being brought against me making me feel humiliated and depressed. I have been reminded of this, however; Jesus loves me. No matter what others may think about me, Jesus loves me and cares about me. He loved me so much that He took my sins in His body on the cross. He loves me and He loves you just the way you are. You may be poor, sick, depressed and rejected by humanity. Jesus loves you.
I've not been feeling well these last few weeks, and I don't know how long I'll be around. There is one thing I want to get across on this blog more than anything else. It is the entire reason I started these sermons to being with. I want you to know that Jesus loves you. He will never leave you or forsake you. He will take you to be with Him forever if you make Him the Savior and Lord of your life. Everyone and Everything may turn against you in this life. But Jesus will always love you.
Now to the second thought. Jesus' love reaches to the lowest hell of our lives. I've been to what I consider the lowest hell of my life three times. The first time was when my friend Toby died. As those who read this blog know well, I loved him with all of my heart, and I still do. Jesus' love helped me to go on living when Toby went to be with Jesus. Jesus' love found me in the lowest hell and lifted me out.
The second time I felt myself in the lowest hell was when my Mom and Dad died within four months of each other. I went downhill badly. Financially, I have yet to recover. Even in that hell, Jesus was there. Only the awareness of His loving presence kept me going every day.
Right now, I am at the third lowest point in my life. I actually find it difficult to get up each day. It is only through the loving presence of Jesus that meets me each morning that I am able to get up and make it through the hell on earth that I am now facing. Even in this time of seeming hopelessness, Jesus is there, and I know that Jesus loves me.
You may be experiencing your own personal hell on earth right now. I don't know your personal circumstance. I do know this. Jesus cares. Jesus loves you. Jesus is with you right now to help you through your dark night.
Let's pray together:
Jesus, we know that you love us, and there is no one and no place that your love does not reach.
Even in our hardest and darkest times, you are there. You are filled with a great love for each of us. You are here to see us through until that day when we come into your glorious presence
when all will be well. We love you Jesus. Thank you for loving us and caring about us. Help
us this day to be aware of your love. Amen
That's about all I have to say this week. I will try to post more this week, but I'm not promising anything. Trust in Jesus this week. May God bless you all. Amen.
As many of you know, I am having a bad time with my job right now. I am too upset to talk much about it. I would ask that you pray for me that I will be able to find a new job very quickly. I have way too much stress right now working where I am working. I have to get out of there. Lord, please let me find a job fast. Once again, please be in prayer for me on this very important matter.
I want to thank the Lord that so many new people have been reading the blog. May God bless you all.
Let us all be in prayer for those suffering from Ebola. Please pray that all of this ends soon. Let us continue to pray for peace in Syria, Ukraine, Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan among many other nations that need to have peace.
Today's message is not going to be very long. Its just something that I have been thinking about for the last several days. I don't really know why this topic has been on my mind.
In I Peter 3:18-22, the Bible talks about Jesus preaching to the spirits in prison. Elsewhere in I Peter, the Bible says that the gospel was preached to the dead. These two verses are often used as the Scriptural text for the statement found in the Apostle's Creed that Jesus descended into hell.
There are a variety of interpretations as to what these verses actually mean. I don't really want to go into all of that in my message today. What I want to focus on is one theologians take to what Jesus descending into hell means. According to this particular person, Jesus descending into hell signifies that there is no place in the universe that the love of Jesus does not reach.
Another theologian said that it signifies that even when we are at our lowest point, Jesus is there.
I think that both of these interpretations have something very valuable to say to us. First of all, there is no place that the love of Jesus does not reach. Jesus loves everyone. He came into this world to share His love with everyone who was ever born. While He was on this earth, Jesus shared His love with those who were looked down upon and despised by others in society. I think that if there was some person that others rejected and found unlovely that these were the people that Jesus loved the most.
You may feel today that no one loves you or cares about you. I have felt that way a lot recently. Don't fall into that kind of thinking. Jesus loves you. I have to remind myself of that. Work and life are hard right now. There is a lot of negativity being brought against me making me feel humiliated and depressed. I have been reminded of this, however; Jesus loves me. No matter what others may think about me, Jesus loves me and cares about me. He loved me so much that He took my sins in His body on the cross. He loves me and He loves you just the way you are. You may be poor, sick, depressed and rejected by humanity. Jesus loves you.
I've not been feeling well these last few weeks, and I don't know how long I'll be around. There is one thing I want to get across on this blog more than anything else. It is the entire reason I started these sermons to being with. I want you to know that Jesus loves you. He will never leave you or forsake you. He will take you to be with Him forever if you make Him the Savior and Lord of your life. Everyone and Everything may turn against you in this life. But Jesus will always love you.
Now to the second thought. Jesus' love reaches to the lowest hell of our lives. I've been to what I consider the lowest hell of my life three times. The first time was when my friend Toby died. As those who read this blog know well, I loved him with all of my heart, and I still do. Jesus' love helped me to go on living when Toby went to be with Jesus. Jesus' love found me in the lowest hell and lifted me out.
The second time I felt myself in the lowest hell was when my Mom and Dad died within four months of each other. I went downhill badly. Financially, I have yet to recover. Even in that hell, Jesus was there. Only the awareness of His loving presence kept me going every day.
Right now, I am at the third lowest point in my life. I actually find it difficult to get up each day. It is only through the loving presence of Jesus that meets me each morning that I am able to get up and make it through the hell on earth that I am now facing. Even in this time of seeming hopelessness, Jesus is there, and I know that Jesus loves me.
You may be experiencing your own personal hell on earth right now. I don't know your personal circumstance. I do know this. Jesus cares. Jesus loves you. Jesus is with you right now to help you through your dark night.
Let's pray together:
Jesus, we know that you love us, and there is no one and no place that your love does not reach.
Even in our hardest and darkest times, you are there. You are filled with a great love for each of us. You are here to see us through until that day when we come into your glorious presence
when all will be well. We love you Jesus. Thank you for loving us and caring about us. Help
us this day to be aware of your love. Amen
That's about all I have to say this week. I will try to post more this week, but I'm not promising anything. Trust in Jesus this week. May God bless you all. Amen.
Monday, October 6, 2014
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Some Thoughts on a Sunday Afternoon
I usually don't put anything on the blog on Sunday, but this has been an unusual past few days, and there are some things that I want to share. As many of you know, I faced a very difficult financial time during the great recession here in the United States. I was without a well paying job for a very long time. Thankfully, with your prayer support, I found a job about eight months ago. Everything was starting to look up on the financial front until last week.
Last week I was informed that those who hold my position are going to be eliminated from the workforce at my company. We will have to reapply for a new position, even though it is at the same location doing the same thing. No one is guaranteed of getting their old jobs back.
This news left me very depressed. It is part of the reason I've not been posting much new material. Faced with the thought of going back to the way things were before was hard to deal with.
This morning, things became a little bit brighter. A verse of Scripture popped into my mind that helped to put things into perspective. Isaiah 26:3 states, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee."
At this time, I must trust the Lord to see me through. He has seen me through to this point. I must believe that He will bring me through this trying time as well.
As of today, I have pretty much decided to seek employment with a different company. I don't really want to work for a place that treats their employees that way we're being treated now. I may take the new test and reapply, but I'm leaning against it.
Please pray for me as I once again search for a job. Thankfully, this time, there seem to be a lot more openings to apply for. Also, I will qualify for unemployment benefits if I don't find another job before this one goes away.
Another thing I can be thankful for is that there is more writing work available as the economy is improving. If I had to, I could take every type of writing job I could find and make it through living on the bare minimum. Hopefully, it won't come to that.
Thinking about the verse in Isaiah has given me a real sense of peace today. I don't feel worried and torn up inside like I did. Jesus is with me. I know that He is. I believe that Jesus will provide for me and show me the way.
Once again, I would ask you to pray for me.
Now, enough about me. There are a lot of people who are a lot worse off than I am. For the past few weeks, I've asked you to pray about the situation with the Ebola virus. Keep praying that this problem will come to an end. Pray for healing for all those afflicted by this terrible disease. Also, pray for peace in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Ukraine.
Next week, I will try to post some more original content for the Weekend Sermon. I hope that everyone has a good week.
Last week I was informed that those who hold my position are going to be eliminated from the workforce at my company. We will have to reapply for a new position, even though it is at the same location doing the same thing. No one is guaranteed of getting their old jobs back.
This news left me very depressed. It is part of the reason I've not been posting much new material. Faced with the thought of going back to the way things were before was hard to deal with.
This morning, things became a little bit brighter. A verse of Scripture popped into my mind that helped to put things into perspective. Isaiah 26:3 states, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee."
At this time, I must trust the Lord to see me through. He has seen me through to this point. I must believe that He will bring me through this trying time as well.
As of today, I have pretty much decided to seek employment with a different company. I don't really want to work for a place that treats their employees that way we're being treated now. I may take the new test and reapply, but I'm leaning against it.
Please pray for me as I once again search for a job. Thankfully, this time, there seem to be a lot more openings to apply for. Also, I will qualify for unemployment benefits if I don't find another job before this one goes away.
Another thing I can be thankful for is that there is more writing work available as the economy is improving. If I had to, I could take every type of writing job I could find and make it through living on the bare minimum. Hopefully, it won't come to that.
Thinking about the verse in Isaiah has given me a real sense of peace today. I don't feel worried and torn up inside like I did. Jesus is with me. I know that He is. I believe that Jesus will provide for me and show me the way.
Once again, I would ask you to pray for me.
Now, enough about me. There are a lot of people who are a lot worse off than I am. For the past few weeks, I've asked you to pray about the situation with the Ebola virus. Keep praying that this problem will come to an end. Pray for healing for all those afflicted by this terrible disease. Also, pray for peace in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Ukraine.
Next week, I will try to post some more original content for the Weekend Sermon. I hope that everyone has a good week.
Friday, October 3, 2014
Weekend Sermon
Today, I am posting another sermon that I originally had on the blog about two years ago. I am having a hard time right now getting on track with the blog because I am facing some difficult things in life at the moment. Please pray that the Lord will help me during this very hard time. I can't share any more than this right now, but I hope to in the future. Lord willing, I will return to new sermons and a regular blog schedule next week.
Weekend Sermon from 2012
I'm feeling a little bit better again this week. I'm still having trouble breathing, but I feel like writing today. I've been thinking a lot again about Heaven and eternity. When my parents both passed away, many people told me that I'd feel better with the passing of time. This hasn't been true for me. I think I'm more sad now than I was. With being sick and missing my Mom, Dad, and Toby so much, I've been pretty down and depressed lately. I do take comfort from the fact that all of my family are in Heaven. They believed in Jesus with all of their hearts. I look forward to being reunited with my family and friends again. I know that if I were to die today I'd be with Jesus and my family. When I was a young boy, I accepted Jesus into my life as my Savior and Lord.
Sometimes though, if you're like me, you wonder whether or not you really are saved. I know that a believer shouldn't really have doubts like this, but sometimes I do. I think that all Christians do to some degree or another.
The Bible speaks about the ways that we can, "make our calling and election sure" as our passage states today. There are ways that we as believers can have assurance of our salvation.
First of all, we can look back on the decision we initially made for Christ. The Bible says in Acts 16:31 that those who believe in the Lord Jesus will be saved. Jesus also said in John 6:37 that He would never cast out anyone who comes to Him. Anyone who comes to Him by faith with sincerity of heart calling upon the name of Jesus is born again. We can take Jesus at His word. He is entirely trustworthy. If we come to Him, He receives us, and He will never let us go no matter what.
When my Mom had Alzheimer's so bad she couldn't recognize who Jesus was in our picture of Jesus hanging over the wood stove. I'd ask her if she knew who that was in the picture. If she responded at all, she would say she didn't know. That upset me, but my Dad said something that is so true. He said that my Mom might not remember who Jesus is, but Jesus knows who my Mom is. My Mom believed in Jesus when she was a girl. She faithfully taught Sunday school, children's church, and vacation Bible school for many years. She is forever safe with Jesus. Those who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. He who began a good work in us is able to complete it. When we make a decision to follow Christ it is settled. We pass from death to life. We can have assurance in remembering that day, and even if time robs us of our memory, Jesus remembers and will always take care of us.
In our passage today, Peter talks about how that the way we live our lives provides evidence of the sincerity of our faith. Peter lists several characteristics that should be part of the life of a follower of Christ. First of all, Peter says in verse 5 that faith is the starting point. We come to the Lord and accept Him by faith. Good works don't play any role in salvation. We are saved by grace through faith and not by works.
Peter goes on to mention virtue as another quality in the life of a Christian. A believer in Jesus lives a life in accordance with the commandments given in Scripture. Jesus clearly outlined for us in His teachings, especially in the Sermon on the Mount, the way His followers are to live.
To virtue Peter says we should add knowledge. A characteristic of a follower of Jesus is a strong desire to know about Jesus and His Word. The person who is truly committed to Christ studies the Word and tries to know more about Jesus through prayer.
The next quality on Peter's list is self-control. Those who are filled with the life of Christ are guided by the Holy Spirit. The self-controlled individual focuses his desires on the things of Christ and not on selfish pursuits.
Steadfastness is next on Peter's list. A steadfast person is immovable in the face of opposition. she is a person of integrity in all her dealings.
The next characteristic of a Christian is godliness. I think that another way to put this might be Christ likeness. When people see us are they seeing Jesus? There's an old song that says, "You're the only Jesus some may ever see." This is so true. We are Christ's ambassadors on earth. We are to show forth Christ in all we do and say.
Brotherly affection is mentioned next. In his epistles, John frequently mentions that love for our brothers and sisters in Christ is a characteristic of an authentic believer. John poses the question of how we can claim to love God who we have not seen and not love the brother we can see.
The final quality Peter mentions is love. This is what Christianity is all about. God loved us and sent His Son. Jesus loves us and gave His life. We are to love the Lord with all that we have, and we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. According to Jesus, this sums up the entirety of the law.
Not everyone who is a Christian will do all that Peter mentions perfectly all the time. Those who have their hearts focused on Jesus will have a sincere desire to follow all the commands laid out by Jesus.
We can have assurance of salvation. These are just a couple of the ways. If you are doubting your salvation, ask Jesus to give a sense of assurance to your heart by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I'd like to close by saying keep trusting in Jesus. I know that keeping my focus on Jesus is all that's keeping me going right now. I'm focusing on Him as I try to make it through this world and into eternity. Keep your eyes on the Lord and let Him lead. Amen.
Weekend Sermon from 2012
I'm feeling a little bit better again this week. I'm still having trouble breathing, but I feel like writing today. I've been thinking a lot again about Heaven and eternity. When my parents both passed away, many people told me that I'd feel better with the passing of time. This hasn't been true for me. I think I'm more sad now than I was. With being sick and missing my Mom, Dad, and Toby so much, I've been pretty down and depressed lately. I do take comfort from the fact that all of my family are in Heaven. They believed in Jesus with all of their hearts. I look forward to being reunited with my family and friends again. I know that if I were to die today I'd be with Jesus and my family. When I was a young boy, I accepted Jesus into my life as my Savior and Lord.
Sometimes though, if you're like me, you wonder whether or not you really are saved. I know that a believer shouldn't really have doubts like this, but sometimes I do. I think that all Christians do to some degree or another.
The Bible speaks about the ways that we can, "make our calling and election sure" as our passage states today. There are ways that we as believers can have assurance of our salvation.
First of all, we can look back on the decision we initially made for Christ. The Bible says in Acts 16:31 that those who believe in the Lord Jesus will be saved. Jesus also said in John 6:37 that He would never cast out anyone who comes to Him. Anyone who comes to Him by faith with sincerity of heart calling upon the name of Jesus is born again. We can take Jesus at His word. He is entirely trustworthy. If we come to Him, He receives us, and He will never let us go no matter what.
When my Mom had Alzheimer's so bad she couldn't recognize who Jesus was in our picture of Jesus hanging over the wood stove. I'd ask her if she knew who that was in the picture. If she responded at all, she would say she didn't know. That upset me, but my Dad said something that is so true. He said that my Mom might not remember who Jesus is, but Jesus knows who my Mom is. My Mom believed in Jesus when she was a girl. She faithfully taught Sunday school, children's church, and vacation Bible school for many years. She is forever safe with Jesus. Those who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. He who began a good work in us is able to complete it. When we make a decision to follow Christ it is settled. We pass from death to life. We can have assurance in remembering that day, and even if time robs us of our memory, Jesus remembers and will always take care of us.
In our passage today, Peter talks about how that the way we live our lives provides evidence of the sincerity of our faith. Peter lists several characteristics that should be part of the life of a follower of Christ. First of all, Peter says in verse 5 that faith is the starting point. We come to the Lord and accept Him by faith. Good works don't play any role in salvation. We are saved by grace through faith and not by works.
Peter goes on to mention virtue as another quality in the life of a Christian. A believer in Jesus lives a life in accordance with the commandments given in Scripture. Jesus clearly outlined for us in His teachings, especially in the Sermon on the Mount, the way His followers are to live.
To virtue Peter says we should add knowledge. A characteristic of a follower of Jesus is a strong desire to know about Jesus and His Word. The person who is truly committed to Christ studies the Word and tries to know more about Jesus through prayer.
The next quality on Peter's list is self-control. Those who are filled with the life of Christ are guided by the Holy Spirit. The self-controlled individual focuses his desires on the things of Christ and not on selfish pursuits.
Steadfastness is next on Peter's list. A steadfast person is immovable in the face of opposition. she is a person of integrity in all her dealings.
The next characteristic of a Christian is godliness. I think that another way to put this might be Christ likeness. When people see us are they seeing Jesus? There's an old song that says, "You're the only Jesus some may ever see." This is so true. We are Christ's ambassadors on earth. We are to show forth Christ in all we do and say.
Brotherly affection is mentioned next. In his epistles, John frequently mentions that love for our brothers and sisters in Christ is a characteristic of an authentic believer. John poses the question of how we can claim to love God who we have not seen and not love the brother we can see.
The final quality Peter mentions is love. This is what Christianity is all about. God loved us and sent His Son. Jesus loves us and gave His life. We are to love the Lord with all that we have, and we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. According to Jesus, this sums up the entirety of the law.
Not everyone who is a Christian will do all that Peter mentions perfectly all the time. Those who have their hearts focused on Jesus will have a sincere desire to follow all the commands laid out by Jesus.
We can have assurance of salvation. These are just a couple of the ways. If you are doubting your salvation, ask Jesus to give a sense of assurance to your heart by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I'd like to close by saying keep trusting in Jesus. I know that keeping my focus on Jesus is all that's keeping me going right now. I'm focusing on Him as I try to make it through this world and into eternity. Keep your eyes on the Lord and let Him lead. Amen.
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