Today, I would like to review a book in a series that I know has been going for sometime, but I just got around to reading one. "Nine Lives to Die" written by Rita Mae Brown is one in a series of over twenty mystery novels that feature Mrs. Murphy and Pewter who are talking cats, and a talking Welsh Corgi by the name of Tucker.
These mysteries feature an amateur sleuth named "Harry" Harristeen who lives in Crozet, Virginia. Harry's animals help her in some way to solve each crime.
I really enjoyed this particular book, and I would certainly recommend it. Even though this is a book that is well into the series, I had absolutely no trouble following what was going on or in picking up on who the characters were and their relationships to each other. In this particular book, prominent members of the community are turning up dead around Christmas time. It is up to Harry and the animals to determine who is trying to ruin the holidays for everyone.
Being a big corgi lover, I don't know why I didn't read this series sooner. The corgi in these books is great.
I believe that there are now 25 novels in this particular series. Having read only this volume, I can't speak for the quality of the series as a whole, but I plan to read more of these. I will post about some of these as I read them in the weeks and months to come.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Monday, July 13, 2015
Verses For The Week
Mark 11:25-26 -- "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in Heaven forgive your trespasses."
Luke 10:22 -- "All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him."
Matthew 5:11 -- "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven."
Luke 10:22 -- "All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him."
Matthew 5:11 -- "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven."
Friday, July 10, 2015
Weekend Sermon -- Acts 8:4-40
Welcome to today's edition of the Weekend Sermon. Thank you for reading the blog. It is my prayer that the sermons that I post on this blog will help people in their spiritual lives. If anyone reads this blog and does not know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, it is my prayer that that person will come to know the Lord Jesus today.
This was a very eventful week. On Monday, we had a tornado that just missed my house. Thank the Lord no one was injured. There was also a tornado near my work. We all had to take cover in the safe room. I really wish this crazy weather would straighten up around here.
My nephew is recovering nicely. My neighbor who we prayed for a few weeks ago is also doing well. Thank you all for your prayers.
In prayer this week, continue to remember those who live in war torn and strife filled areas of the world. Pray for peace and justice in the world. Pray for an end of the exploitation of the poor by the rich and the weak by the strong. Especially pray for economic and social justice in this world.
Let us also continue to pray for the spread of the message of the Gospel of the love of Jesus. I heard reports again about some countries where there are very few Christians. One of these nations was the Comoros Islands. Let us pray that the message of Jesus will reach this nation.
Before we began our series of messages going through the book of I Peter, we studied on and off the story of the early church found in the first few chapters of the book of Acts. Over the next couple of weeks, I would like to focus on the early church and Acts. At the end of the month, we will begin a new series of messages on the divinity of Jesus Christ as presented in the Gospel of John.
If you remember, one of the people we studied in the book of Acts was a man named Stephen. Stephen was appointed with some others to be a deacon in the early churches. It was the deacon's job to see that the physical needs of the congregation were taken care of so that the Apostles were free to pray and preach the Gospel.
Stephen was a mighty man of God who boldly proclaimed the message of the Savior. Stephen was the first person the Scripture records being put to death for belief in Jesus.
Today, I would like to focus on another deacon who is named Philip. Philip was a man who was wholly committed to the message of Jesus, and he wanted to see the message of Jesus spread to people around the world.
As far as we know, Philip the deacon was one of the first people to take the Gospel to the Samaritans. Jesus had told His followers to preach the Gospel in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the world. Philip was fulfilling the commandment of the Lord. He was also following the Lord's example in taking the message of the Kingdom to the Samaritans.
In John 4, Jesus went to a Samaritan village and had a dialogue with a Samaritan woman. This led to a great revival, and many Samaritans believed in Jesus.
The Samaritans were despised by the Jewish people who lived in Jesus' day. They were completely rejected. But Jesus didn't reject them. Jesus ministered to the Samaritans. In fact, Jesus used a Samaritan in the parable of the Good Samaritan to teach one of His most important messages.
Philip went to Samaria and preached the Word, performed miracles and cast out demons. Many people were converted to Christ as a result of Philip's ministry. Later Peter and John would go to Samaria to confirm that these people were true believers and they received the baptism in the Holy Spirit just as those who were present at the day of Pentecost had received.
Philip would also help to fulfill the Great Commission by preaching to a Ethiopian eunuch. The Lord told Philip to arise and go into the desert. While in the desert, an Ethiopian official's caravan was passing by. The official was reading out loud from the book of Isaiah the prophet. Philip heard the official reading, and asked him if he understood what he was reading. Philip then used this as an opportunity to explain who Jesus was.
The official was reading from Isaiah 53. This is one of the great prophecies of the Old Testament which clearly foretells the ministry of Jesus Christ upon the cross.
After Philip explained the Isaiah passage to the Ethiopian, the Ethiopian put his trust in Jesus and was baptized. This was important, because church history tells us that this Ethiopian went and shared his faith with his fellow countrymen. Today, Ethiopia has many Christian people and a rich Christian history.
After preaching to the Ethiopian, the Spirit took Philip to the city of Azotus. From there, Philip preached up and down the Mediterranean coast of present day Israel.
So what can we learn from the life of the deacon Philip. First of all, I believe that Philip is an example of obedience to the commandments of Jesus. Philip took the Great Commission seriously. He went and preached the Gospel to many different peoples.
To me, this demonstrates the fact that the love of Jesus is available to everybody everywhere. The message of Jesus is not just for some people while others are excluded. Jesus loves everyone, and He wants everyone to come to Him and believe in Him.
In my country, I feel that there are many people that do not want to here the message of Jesus because of the way that people in the church have acted to them. They feel excluded. This is not how it should be. During His ministry on this earth, Jesus spoke His message of love and forgiveness to those that the religious leaders of his day excluded. Jesus said whosoever will may come.
There is no sinner that Jesus does not want to come to the cross and receive forgiveness. Jesus said that whoever would come to Him, He would in no wise cast them out.
We should follow Philip's example and share the love of Jesus with those in our circle of influence. We should also give to missions, so that people who have never heard about the Lord might have the chance to know the Lord Jesus.
Philip is also an example of someone who was willing to go wherever the Lord called Him to go. He never questioned where God was leading him. This is how we as followers of Jesus should be. We should be willing to go where God wants us to go.
The Lord may be calling you to the mission field or to some other type of Gospel ministry. Please, yield to the calling of the Spirit and go where the Lord sends you. As Jesus said, the fields are white unto harvest, but the laborers are few.
For some reason, you may feel that the Lord does not love you. This is not true. Jesus loves you. He wants you to come to Him. It does not matter what your race or ethnicity is, there is room at the cross for you.
You may feel that you have sinned too much for Jesus to save you. There is no sinner that Jesus cannot redeem. Jesus wants you to come to Him today.
Jesus said, "Come to me all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." That all includes you no matter who you are.
Next week, I will post the verses on Monday. On Wednesday, I will post a review about a book with animals who act as detectives. On Friday, the sermon will be posted. May God bless you this day and this week. Amen.
This was a very eventful week. On Monday, we had a tornado that just missed my house. Thank the Lord no one was injured. There was also a tornado near my work. We all had to take cover in the safe room. I really wish this crazy weather would straighten up around here.
My nephew is recovering nicely. My neighbor who we prayed for a few weeks ago is also doing well. Thank you all for your prayers.
In prayer this week, continue to remember those who live in war torn and strife filled areas of the world. Pray for peace and justice in the world. Pray for an end of the exploitation of the poor by the rich and the weak by the strong. Especially pray for economic and social justice in this world.
Let us also continue to pray for the spread of the message of the Gospel of the love of Jesus. I heard reports again about some countries where there are very few Christians. One of these nations was the Comoros Islands. Let us pray that the message of Jesus will reach this nation.
Before we began our series of messages going through the book of I Peter, we studied on and off the story of the early church found in the first few chapters of the book of Acts. Over the next couple of weeks, I would like to focus on the early church and Acts. At the end of the month, we will begin a new series of messages on the divinity of Jesus Christ as presented in the Gospel of John.
If you remember, one of the people we studied in the book of Acts was a man named Stephen. Stephen was appointed with some others to be a deacon in the early churches. It was the deacon's job to see that the physical needs of the congregation were taken care of so that the Apostles were free to pray and preach the Gospel.
Stephen was a mighty man of God who boldly proclaimed the message of the Savior. Stephen was the first person the Scripture records being put to death for belief in Jesus.
Today, I would like to focus on another deacon who is named Philip. Philip was a man who was wholly committed to the message of Jesus, and he wanted to see the message of Jesus spread to people around the world.
As far as we know, Philip the deacon was one of the first people to take the Gospel to the Samaritans. Jesus had told His followers to preach the Gospel in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the world. Philip was fulfilling the commandment of the Lord. He was also following the Lord's example in taking the message of the Kingdom to the Samaritans.
In John 4, Jesus went to a Samaritan village and had a dialogue with a Samaritan woman. This led to a great revival, and many Samaritans believed in Jesus.
The Samaritans were despised by the Jewish people who lived in Jesus' day. They were completely rejected. But Jesus didn't reject them. Jesus ministered to the Samaritans. In fact, Jesus used a Samaritan in the parable of the Good Samaritan to teach one of His most important messages.
Philip went to Samaria and preached the Word, performed miracles and cast out demons. Many people were converted to Christ as a result of Philip's ministry. Later Peter and John would go to Samaria to confirm that these people were true believers and they received the baptism in the Holy Spirit just as those who were present at the day of Pentecost had received.
Philip would also help to fulfill the Great Commission by preaching to a Ethiopian eunuch. The Lord told Philip to arise and go into the desert. While in the desert, an Ethiopian official's caravan was passing by. The official was reading out loud from the book of Isaiah the prophet. Philip heard the official reading, and asked him if he understood what he was reading. Philip then used this as an opportunity to explain who Jesus was.
The official was reading from Isaiah 53. This is one of the great prophecies of the Old Testament which clearly foretells the ministry of Jesus Christ upon the cross.
After Philip explained the Isaiah passage to the Ethiopian, the Ethiopian put his trust in Jesus and was baptized. This was important, because church history tells us that this Ethiopian went and shared his faith with his fellow countrymen. Today, Ethiopia has many Christian people and a rich Christian history.
After preaching to the Ethiopian, the Spirit took Philip to the city of Azotus. From there, Philip preached up and down the Mediterranean coast of present day Israel.
So what can we learn from the life of the deacon Philip. First of all, I believe that Philip is an example of obedience to the commandments of Jesus. Philip took the Great Commission seriously. He went and preached the Gospel to many different peoples.
To me, this demonstrates the fact that the love of Jesus is available to everybody everywhere. The message of Jesus is not just for some people while others are excluded. Jesus loves everyone, and He wants everyone to come to Him and believe in Him.
In my country, I feel that there are many people that do not want to here the message of Jesus because of the way that people in the church have acted to them. They feel excluded. This is not how it should be. During His ministry on this earth, Jesus spoke His message of love and forgiveness to those that the religious leaders of his day excluded. Jesus said whosoever will may come.
There is no sinner that Jesus does not want to come to the cross and receive forgiveness. Jesus said that whoever would come to Him, He would in no wise cast them out.
We should follow Philip's example and share the love of Jesus with those in our circle of influence. We should also give to missions, so that people who have never heard about the Lord might have the chance to know the Lord Jesus.
Philip is also an example of someone who was willing to go wherever the Lord called Him to go. He never questioned where God was leading him. This is how we as followers of Jesus should be. We should be willing to go where God wants us to go.
The Lord may be calling you to the mission field or to some other type of Gospel ministry. Please, yield to the calling of the Spirit and go where the Lord sends you. As Jesus said, the fields are white unto harvest, but the laborers are few.
For some reason, you may feel that the Lord does not love you. This is not true. Jesus loves you. He wants you to come to Him. It does not matter what your race or ethnicity is, there is room at the cross for you.
You may feel that you have sinned too much for Jesus to save you. There is no sinner that Jesus cannot redeem. Jesus wants you to come to Him today.
Jesus said, "Come to me all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." That all includes you no matter who you are.
Next week, I will post the verses on Monday. On Wednesday, I will post a review about a book with animals who act as detectives. On Friday, the sermon will be posted. May God bless you this day and this week. Amen.
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Book Review -- Jesus: A Pilgrimage
I really enjoy reading books about Jesus, and "Jesus: A Pilgrimage" written by James Martin is the best book I've read about Jesus in a long time. James Martin is a Jesuit priest who decided to visit the Holy Land with a fellow priest. The author wanted to see the places where Jesus walked while ministering on earth.
Martin traveled to all of the major holy sites, and he and his traveling companion also visited many other destinations connected with the Lord Jesus. Of particular interest to me was the author's description of the region around the Sea of Galilee. This is the area where Jesus preached and performed numerous miracles. Nearby, Jesus would speak the words of the Sermon on the Mount which mean so much to me and to Christians around the world.
What I like best about this book is that the humanity of Jesus really comes alive through the author's accounts of his travels. Martin invites the reader to think about what it was like for Jesus growing up as a boy. What did Jesus do in all of those years before He began His public ministry? For me, this made Jesus come alive and seem very real as a flesh and blood person.
"Jesus: A Pilgrimage is a big book, but is well worth reading. Readers will learn much about the geography and culture of the Holy Land, and they will experience the Lord Jesus in a fresh way.
Martin traveled to all of the major holy sites, and he and his traveling companion also visited many other destinations connected with the Lord Jesus. Of particular interest to me was the author's description of the region around the Sea of Galilee. This is the area where Jesus preached and performed numerous miracles. Nearby, Jesus would speak the words of the Sermon on the Mount which mean so much to me and to Christians around the world.
What I like best about this book is that the humanity of Jesus really comes alive through the author's accounts of his travels. Martin invites the reader to think about what it was like for Jesus growing up as a boy. What did Jesus do in all of those years before He began His public ministry? For me, this made Jesus come alive and seem very real as a flesh and blood person.
"Jesus: A Pilgrimage is a big book, but is well worth reading. Readers will learn much about the geography and culture of the Holy Land, and they will experience the Lord Jesus in a fresh way.
Monday, July 6, 2015
Verses For the Week
Jeremiah 51: 15-16 -- "He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding. When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures."
Luke 4:18-19 -- "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord."
Mark 2:17 -- "They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Luke 4:18-19 -- "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord."
Mark 2:17 -- "They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Update
This is just an update to remind everyone who reads the blog on a regular basis that the blog schedule will return to normal this week. I will post the verses on Monday, a review on Wednesday and the sermon on Friday.
There were a lot of fireworks shot off near my home last night. I am thankful to the Lord that nothing was damaged.
Also, everything went well in my report for work. Thank you for your prayers.
There were a lot of fireworks shot off near my home last night. I am thankful to the Lord that nothing was damaged.
Also, everything went well in my report for work. Thank you for your prayers.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Weekend Sermon -- I Peter 5:8-14
Welcome to the Weekend Sermon which is appearing one day early. The library where I go to work on the computer is going to be closed both Friday and Saturday for the Independence Day holiday. So, in order to get a sermon in this week, I am posting today.
I talked to my brother yesterday, and my nephew is doing very well. He is home from the hospital, and the doctors think that this operation is going to help his situation considerable. Thank you for your prayers on his behalf. Thank you Jesus.
In your prayers this week would you all please pray about my job situation? The Mid-Year Review is Friday, and I'm not looking forward to this. Everything was going very well with my former supervisor, but I'm not so sure about what is going on right now.
Let us all continue to pray for the places in the world experiencing war and violence. Let us also pray for the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world.
In last week's message, I focused on the casting our cares upon the Lord Jesus because He cares for us, and He is the only one who has the power necessary to help us through our times of difficulty and turmoil.
Today, we bring our study of I Peter to a close by studying two themes found in this epistle's closing verses. In verses 8 and 9 of chapter 5, Peter urges his readers to resist the devil who is walking about like a roaring lion seeking whom he might devour.
Resisting the devil and the temptation to do what is wrong is of vital importance in the Christian life. The forces of evil are always attempting to get believers sidetracked and off course. If a Christian's testimony for the Lord can be damaged, it will cause many who are considering the Christian faith to no longer seek the path towards the Lord Jesus.
How are we to resist the temptations of the evil one and his forces? First of all, we must recognize that we face a real foe. Many try to deny the existence of the devil. The Bible makes it quite clear that the devil is real. However, he is not equal to God. The devil is not omniscient nor is he omnipresent. Those forces allied with him to do his bidding, assist him in his attempts to thwart the message of the Lord Jesus.
We can resist the temptations of the forces of evil by imitating the example of Jesus Christ. While He was on this earth, the Lord was tempted by the devil in the desert. The devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness three different times. On each occasion, Jesus resisted the devil's temptation by quoting the Scriptures.
In this same manner, we can resist temptation by relying on the power of the Word of God. In order to be able to do this, we must be students of God's Word. We must know what the Bible says so that we can obey its instructions. We must know the truth, so that when a lie comes against us, we can use the power of the truth to resist the forces of falsehood.
We also resist the powers of evil by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. When we face temptation we must ask the Holy Spirit to embolden us to resist. We can be confident knowing that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.
We also resist the power of evil by doing good. If our thoughts and our actions are focused on the holy and doing what the Lord requires of us, there will be no place in our hearts nor in our thoughts for evil to take root and lead us astray.
Let me say one word here before we move on. Many Christians attribute every temptation in their lives to the devil or demons. In most instances, this is not the case. The Bible is clear in the book of James that on most occasions of sin, we are drawn away by our own lusts and sin. As a general rule, humans don't need any help getting in a mess. For this reason, we must rely on the power of the Lord Jesus to help us throughout the course of our lives.
Finally, I would like to look at verse 10. I find this verse encouraging. After all of the strife and suffering that accompanies us in this earthly life, one day, this life will be over. Those of us who are in Christ can have the assurance that this life is not all that there is. When this life is over, we will be with Jesus for all of eternity. This is possible through the death and glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ our Savior and King.
It has been great fun going verse by verse through the epistle of I Peter. I have many different series of sermons planned for the upcoming weeks. Next week, I will give a message on an individual topic. By the end of this month, it is my plan, Lord willing, to begin a series of messages on the divinity of Jesus focusing on the Gospel of John. We will first focus on the signs John gives of who Jesus is, and then we will focus on the statements that Jesus made revealing Himself. I am really looking forward to these messages.
Next week, I will post the verses on Monday and a review on Wednesday. The sermon will appear on Friday. May God bless you all. Thank you for journeying with me through I Peter. Thank you Lord for this opportunity. Amen.
I talked to my brother yesterday, and my nephew is doing very well. He is home from the hospital, and the doctors think that this operation is going to help his situation considerable. Thank you for your prayers on his behalf. Thank you Jesus.
In your prayers this week would you all please pray about my job situation? The Mid-Year Review is Friday, and I'm not looking forward to this. Everything was going very well with my former supervisor, but I'm not so sure about what is going on right now.
Let us all continue to pray for the places in the world experiencing war and violence. Let us also pray for the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world.
In last week's message, I focused on the casting our cares upon the Lord Jesus because He cares for us, and He is the only one who has the power necessary to help us through our times of difficulty and turmoil.
Today, we bring our study of I Peter to a close by studying two themes found in this epistle's closing verses. In verses 8 and 9 of chapter 5, Peter urges his readers to resist the devil who is walking about like a roaring lion seeking whom he might devour.
Resisting the devil and the temptation to do what is wrong is of vital importance in the Christian life. The forces of evil are always attempting to get believers sidetracked and off course. If a Christian's testimony for the Lord can be damaged, it will cause many who are considering the Christian faith to no longer seek the path towards the Lord Jesus.
How are we to resist the temptations of the evil one and his forces? First of all, we must recognize that we face a real foe. Many try to deny the existence of the devil. The Bible makes it quite clear that the devil is real. However, he is not equal to God. The devil is not omniscient nor is he omnipresent. Those forces allied with him to do his bidding, assist him in his attempts to thwart the message of the Lord Jesus.
We can resist the temptations of the forces of evil by imitating the example of Jesus Christ. While He was on this earth, the Lord was tempted by the devil in the desert. The devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness three different times. On each occasion, Jesus resisted the devil's temptation by quoting the Scriptures.
In this same manner, we can resist temptation by relying on the power of the Word of God. In order to be able to do this, we must be students of God's Word. We must know what the Bible says so that we can obey its instructions. We must know the truth, so that when a lie comes against us, we can use the power of the truth to resist the forces of falsehood.
We also resist the powers of evil by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. When we face temptation we must ask the Holy Spirit to embolden us to resist. We can be confident knowing that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.
We also resist the power of evil by doing good. If our thoughts and our actions are focused on the holy and doing what the Lord requires of us, there will be no place in our hearts nor in our thoughts for evil to take root and lead us astray.
Let me say one word here before we move on. Many Christians attribute every temptation in their lives to the devil or demons. In most instances, this is not the case. The Bible is clear in the book of James that on most occasions of sin, we are drawn away by our own lusts and sin. As a general rule, humans don't need any help getting in a mess. For this reason, we must rely on the power of the Lord Jesus to help us throughout the course of our lives.
Finally, I would like to look at verse 10. I find this verse encouraging. After all of the strife and suffering that accompanies us in this earthly life, one day, this life will be over. Those of us who are in Christ can have the assurance that this life is not all that there is. When this life is over, we will be with Jesus for all of eternity. This is possible through the death and glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ our Savior and King.
It has been great fun going verse by verse through the epistle of I Peter. I have many different series of sermons planned for the upcoming weeks. Next week, I will give a message on an individual topic. By the end of this month, it is my plan, Lord willing, to begin a series of messages on the divinity of Jesus focusing on the Gospel of John. We will first focus on the signs John gives of who Jesus is, and then we will focus on the statements that Jesus made revealing Himself. I am really looking forward to these messages.
Next week, I will post the verses on Monday and a review on Wednesday. The sermon will appear on Friday. May God bless you all. Thank you for journeying with me through I Peter. Thank you Lord for this opportunity. Amen.
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