Monday, November 2, 2015
Verses For the Week -- Verses From Jude
Jude 17-25 -- "But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires. These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear --- hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy -- to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages now and forevermore! Amen.
Friday, October 30, 2015
Weekend Sermon -- John 9:1-41
It is good to be with you again today for another edition of the Weekend Sermon. I hope that this day finds you well.
This week has been very busy. I am doing a lot of work around the house with the hope of trying to put the house up for sale again. I didn't have much luck last time, but I will try to get things fixed up a little and see about selling it this spring. It is still my intention to try to get up enough money to start a larger ministry. My job and writing have gone well so far this week.
There is so much going on in the world right now, and there is a lot to pray for. Please pray for those affected by the hurricane in Mexico and those affected by the earthquake in Afghanistan. Let us also continue to pray for peace. I heard a report on the war in South Sudan on NPR this morning that made me sick. Please pray for peace in this very troubled country.
Let us continue to pray for those areas of the world where there are few Christians. Let us pray for the message of Jesus to reach more people in Madagascar, Somalia, Bahrain and Indonesia.
For the last several messages, we have been in a series on the way that the divinity of Jesus is presented in the book of John. We first examined the "I Am" statements of Jesus, and now we are examining the sign miracles presented in John. Today we focus on Jesus' healing of the man born blind.
One day as Jesus and His disciples were walking along, they came upon a man born blind. The disciples wanted to know if the man sinning or his parent's sins caused him to be born blind. Jesus said that that didn't have anything to do with the situation.
Jesus spit on the ground and made some mud. He put the mud on the man's eyes and told to him to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam. The man followed the word of the Lord, and his sight was restored.
When the Pharisees saw that this man was healed, they were angry because he was healed on the Sabbath. They asked the man who had healed him. The man did not know. The Pharisees then accused Jesus of healing by demonic powers. The healed man disagreed, and he was thrown out.
Later, Jesus found the man and asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" The man said he did not know who that was. Jesus then revealed to the man who He was, and the blind man worshiped the Lord Jesus.
There is a lot to learn from this healing miracle. First, let's look at what this miracle has to teach us, and then let us look at how it is a sign of the divinity of Jesus.
The first thing that I want to point out is the idea of sin being responsible for sickness. The prevailing idea in Jesus' day was that if you were sick or disabled it was because either you were a sinner or your parents had sinned. That is the basis of the disciples' question.
Jesus makes it quite clear in this passage that that type of thinking is wrong. He said that it wasn't the man's sin or his parent's sin that had caused his condition.
We live in a fallen world. Sickness and other bad things happen to people. Sickness is not the punishment placed on a child because of parent's sin. And, if you are sick with some disease it is not because you have some kind of unconfessed sin in your life.
There is a teaching going around that says that if you have enough faith and you don't sin you will have perfect health and prosperity. This is not the teaching of the Scripture. This is not the teaching of Jesus.
One of the reasons that so many of the sick and the outcasts responded to Jesus is because He did not condemn and reject them as the religious leaders of the day did. He cared about people and He helped them.
When I was a boy, I was very sick because of a congenital immune disorder. I grew up in a church that thought that if you were sick it was because of some sin in your life. I knew that this wasn't true, but this kind of attitude expressed to me all the time caused a lot of depression. I am so glad that when I was older, I discovered who Jesus really is.
The second thing that I want to focus on is the attitude of the blind man's parents. When the blind man was brought before the religious leaders, they also brought the man's parents as well to testify if the man was really born blind. The parents said that their son was of age, he could speak for himself.
This is a nasty and horrible way to act. These parents left there son to beg and then they wouldn't help him out in a difficult situation because they were afraid.
What this teaches me is that even when those who are supposed to love us and care about us reject us, Jesus does not. He loves us and stands by us no matter what. He will never leave us and He will never forsake us. When the man had been cast out and was alone, Jesus came and found him, and Jesus showed love, mercy and compassion to him.
One other thing that I want to focus on from this miracle account is the fact that the blind man obeyed the Lord and gave Jesus the glory. When Jesus told the man to wash in the pool, the blind man did it. He was obedient to the voice of the Lord. After he was healed and he found out who Jesus was, he worshiped Jesus as his Savior and Lord.
This is an example for us today. We should obey what the Lord commands us to do. Whatever good thing comes into our lives, we should thank the Lord and give Him all the honor, glory and praise.
Now, how does this miracle demonstrate the divine nature of Jesus. Jesus created something out of nothing which is something only God can do. The account emphasizes the fact that this man was born blind. It also says that Jesus spit on the dust, and then He placed the mud in the man's eyes.
I think the clear implication is that this man was born without eyes. Jesus took the dust of the earth as in the original creation of man and made the man knew eyes with which to see. This is the reason the people and the religious leaders were so astonished. Jesus had healed other blind people. But this healing was different, It was more than those others. It was much more miraculous.
As great as this miracle was, the greatest miracle is when we come to Jesus and He gives sight to our eyes that were once blinded by sin. Jesus forgives us and allows us to see with the eyes of faith. Just like the blind man, we see Jesus for who He really is, and we worship Him as Savior and Lord.
Next week, we will continue in our series on the signs of John. I will post the verses on Monday, and I hope to post the review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
This week has been very busy. I am doing a lot of work around the house with the hope of trying to put the house up for sale again. I didn't have much luck last time, but I will try to get things fixed up a little and see about selling it this spring. It is still my intention to try to get up enough money to start a larger ministry. My job and writing have gone well so far this week.
There is so much going on in the world right now, and there is a lot to pray for. Please pray for those affected by the hurricane in Mexico and those affected by the earthquake in Afghanistan. Let us also continue to pray for peace. I heard a report on the war in South Sudan on NPR this morning that made me sick. Please pray for peace in this very troubled country.
Let us continue to pray for those areas of the world where there are few Christians. Let us pray for the message of Jesus to reach more people in Madagascar, Somalia, Bahrain and Indonesia.
For the last several messages, we have been in a series on the way that the divinity of Jesus is presented in the book of John. We first examined the "I Am" statements of Jesus, and now we are examining the sign miracles presented in John. Today we focus on Jesus' healing of the man born blind.
One day as Jesus and His disciples were walking along, they came upon a man born blind. The disciples wanted to know if the man sinning or his parent's sins caused him to be born blind. Jesus said that that didn't have anything to do with the situation.
Jesus spit on the ground and made some mud. He put the mud on the man's eyes and told to him to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam. The man followed the word of the Lord, and his sight was restored.
When the Pharisees saw that this man was healed, they were angry because he was healed on the Sabbath. They asked the man who had healed him. The man did not know. The Pharisees then accused Jesus of healing by demonic powers. The healed man disagreed, and he was thrown out.
Later, Jesus found the man and asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" The man said he did not know who that was. Jesus then revealed to the man who He was, and the blind man worshiped the Lord Jesus.
There is a lot to learn from this healing miracle. First, let's look at what this miracle has to teach us, and then let us look at how it is a sign of the divinity of Jesus.
The first thing that I want to point out is the idea of sin being responsible for sickness. The prevailing idea in Jesus' day was that if you were sick or disabled it was because either you were a sinner or your parents had sinned. That is the basis of the disciples' question.
Jesus makes it quite clear in this passage that that type of thinking is wrong. He said that it wasn't the man's sin or his parent's sin that had caused his condition.
We live in a fallen world. Sickness and other bad things happen to people. Sickness is not the punishment placed on a child because of parent's sin. And, if you are sick with some disease it is not because you have some kind of unconfessed sin in your life.
There is a teaching going around that says that if you have enough faith and you don't sin you will have perfect health and prosperity. This is not the teaching of the Scripture. This is not the teaching of Jesus.
One of the reasons that so many of the sick and the outcasts responded to Jesus is because He did not condemn and reject them as the religious leaders of the day did. He cared about people and He helped them.
When I was a boy, I was very sick because of a congenital immune disorder. I grew up in a church that thought that if you were sick it was because of some sin in your life. I knew that this wasn't true, but this kind of attitude expressed to me all the time caused a lot of depression. I am so glad that when I was older, I discovered who Jesus really is.
The second thing that I want to focus on is the attitude of the blind man's parents. When the blind man was brought before the religious leaders, they also brought the man's parents as well to testify if the man was really born blind. The parents said that their son was of age, he could speak for himself.
This is a nasty and horrible way to act. These parents left there son to beg and then they wouldn't help him out in a difficult situation because they were afraid.
What this teaches me is that even when those who are supposed to love us and care about us reject us, Jesus does not. He loves us and stands by us no matter what. He will never leave us and He will never forsake us. When the man had been cast out and was alone, Jesus came and found him, and Jesus showed love, mercy and compassion to him.
One other thing that I want to focus on from this miracle account is the fact that the blind man obeyed the Lord and gave Jesus the glory. When Jesus told the man to wash in the pool, the blind man did it. He was obedient to the voice of the Lord. After he was healed and he found out who Jesus was, he worshiped Jesus as his Savior and Lord.
This is an example for us today. We should obey what the Lord commands us to do. Whatever good thing comes into our lives, we should thank the Lord and give Him all the honor, glory and praise.
Now, how does this miracle demonstrate the divine nature of Jesus. Jesus created something out of nothing which is something only God can do. The account emphasizes the fact that this man was born blind. It also says that Jesus spit on the dust, and then He placed the mud in the man's eyes.
I think the clear implication is that this man was born without eyes. Jesus took the dust of the earth as in the original creation of man and made the man knew eyes with which to see. This is the reason the people and the religious leaders were so astonished. Jesus had healed other blind people. But this healing was different, It was more than those others. It was much more miraculous.
As great as this miracle was, the greatest miracle is when we come to Jesus and He gives sight to our eyes that were once blinded by sin. Jesus forgives us and allows us to see with the eyes of faith. Just like the blind man, we see Jesus for who He really is, and we worship Him as Savior and Lord.
Next week, we will continue in our series on the signs of John. I will post the verses on Monday, and I hope to post the review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Book Review -- Black Cat Crossing
Today I am reviewing a book entitled "Black Cat Crossing" written by Kay Finch. This is the first book in a new mystery series.
This book started off with a very interesting premise. The main character whose name is Sabrina is an aspiring mystery writer who has moved in to help her aunt run a guest cottage business. The locals are upset because a black cat that is supposed to bring bad luck has been spotted.
About this time, Sabrina's cousin arrives trying to get his hands on the family fortune. The next night, the cousin is found dead by the river. Sabrina is the one who finds the body as she is led to it by the mysterious black cat.
Over the course of the book, Sabrina takes in this black cat keeping him safe from the local residents who are trying to trap him. She names the cat Hitchcock. Hitchcock has a way of showing up at unexpected times to lead Sabrina to clues in solving the mystery of her cousin's death.
I really enjoyed this book, and I thought the characters were great. However, the ending of the book ruined the book as far as I am concerned. I won't give away the ending, but to me, it just seems to come out of nowhere.
Because of the ending, I am not recommending this book. The series may improve. When the next book is released, I'll try to check it out and see if I like that book any better than this first one.
This book started off with a very interesting premise. The main character whose name is Sabrina is an aspiring mystery writer who has moved in to help her aunt run a guest cottage business. The locals are upset because a black cat that is supposed to bring bad luck has been spotted.
About this time, Sabrina's cousin arrives trying to get his hands on the family fortune. The next night, the cousin is found dead by the river. Sabrina is the one who finds the body as she is led to it by the mysterious black cat.
Over the course of the book, Sabrina takes in this black cat keeping him safe from the local residents who are trying to trap him. She names the cat Hitchcock. Hitchcock has a way of showing up at unexpected times to lead Sabrina to clues in solving the mystery of her cousin's death.
I really enjoyed this book, and I thought the characters were great. However, the ending of the book ruined the book as far as I am concerned. I won't give away the ending, but to me, it just seems to come out of nowhere.
Because of the ending, I am not recommending this book. The series may improve. When the next book is released, I'll try to check it out and see if I like that book any better than this first one.
Monday, October 26, 2015
Verses For the Week -- Verses From I John
I John 2:3-6 -- "We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, I know him, but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did."
I John 3:7 -- "Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous., just as he is righteous."
I John 5:12 -- "Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."
I John 3:7 -- "Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous., just as he is righteous."
I John 5:12 -- "Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."
Friday, October 23, 2015
Weekend Sermon -- John 6:16-24
Welcome to this new edition of the Weekend Sermon. I am so glad to be able to post the sermon today, and I hope that this day finds all of you doing well.
I just want to begin by thanking the Lord for all that He has done for me this week. I am feeling pretty well, and things are going pretty good at work. I am thankful for the fact that I was able to get some additional writing work this week, and the book that I am working on is progressing nicely.
In prayer this week, let us pray for those who are in the path of the terrible hurricane that is near Mexico. I heard that this is one of the strongest hurricanes meteorologists have ever recorded. Let us pray for the safety of all who are threatened by this storm. Let us also continue to pray for peace in the world and pray for those who have been displaced by the conflicts around the world.
We have been praying over the weeks for those nations where there are not that many Christians. Let us pray this week that the message of Jesus will reach Cambodia, Laos, Sudan and Mauritania.
Today in the sermon, we are continuing with our series of messages on the signs in the Gospel of John that point to the divinity of Jesus Christ. In our message last week, we examined the account of the feeding of the 5,000. This is such an important miracle that it is recorded in all four Gospels. It was a turning point in the earthly ministry of Jesus. As we saw last week, many stopped following Jesus after the teaching Jesus gave after performing this great and awesome miracle.
Right after Jesus performed the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, The disciples went down to the Sea of Galilee and set sail for the city of Capernaum. Jesus did not go with the disciples. Jesus had withdrawn by Himself up into the mountains to pray and have some solitary time.
When the disciples were about half way across the sea, darkness had overtaken them, and a strong wind began to blow making the waves treacherous. About this time, the disciples saw a figure walking on the water in the distance. They were greatly afraid and thought that they were seeing a ghost. At this point Jesus said, "It is I, don't be afraid."
This account does not record this, but another Gospel says that when Peter saw that it was Jesus, Peter asked to come out to Jesus on the water. Peter stepped out and started walking on the water too. However, at some point, Peter took his eyes off of Jesus, and Peter sank. Of course, Jesus rescued His friend.
When Jesus entered the boat, the wind and waves settled, What is most stunning about this miracle in my view is that when Jesus got in the boat, the boat immediately transported to the shore. It went three miles instantly.
This miraculous account has a lot to teach us about life and the divine nature of Jesus. First, let us look at the lessons we can apply to our lives today. One thing that really strikes me is the metaphor of the storm and how Jesus brings peace. This same idea occurs in another account when Jesus stilled the storm. This time, Jesus was in the boat with the disciples. A great storm churned the sea, and the disciples thought all was lost. All the while Jesus was sleeping. The disciples came and woke Him saying don't you care that we are about to drown. Well, of course Jesus cared about their predicament. He rebuked the storm saying, "Peace, be still." All was well.
The life we live on planet earth is filled with rough times. All of us have or will face very difficult times. These are the storms that disturb our existence. Unfortunately, some people have more than their fair share of storms.
In these rough patches of life, we must turn to Jesus as the one who calms the raging storm. He is the only one who has the power to make a difference in our lives.
When we are facing financial difficulties, poor health or broken relationships, Jesus says to us, "Be not Afraid". Jesus is right there with us in all of the hard times of life. I know this from first hand experience. As I've said here on the blog many times, If I didn't have Jesus in my life, I would not be able to exist. Knowing that He is with me has kept me going through sorrow and times of deep depression. When I have been in great fear over circumstances in the present and when I have been worried about the future, I can hear the voice of Jesus say, "Be not Afraid."
The reason that we do not have to fear is that Jesus is the one who is in our hearts and He is the one who holds our future. One minister whose sermons I like to listen to puts it this way, he says that with Jesus the worst thing is never the last thing. What he means is that when our life is in Christ, no matter what problem we face, we have the assurance that we will one day be with Jesus for all of eternity in His land where there will be no more sorrow or mourning and all will be at at peace.
One other lesson that we can learn from this account is that in all of all storms in life, when need to keep our eyes on Jesus. As it says in Hebrews chapter 12, we need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus who is the author and perfecter of our faith.
Peter was actually walking on the water and defying the storm as long as his eyes stayed on Jesus and not the storm. As soon as Peter's focus left Jesus, Peter was in trouble. This tells me that in order to make it through life, Jesus needs to be at the center of my life. He needs to be the focus of all that I do. To me this means that I pray and commune with Jesus throughout the day. I read about Him and His teachings in the Bible, and I meditate on His goodness and love.
Part of keeping Jesus at the center of my life also means putting into practice His teachings and commandments. It means asking what would Jesus do in each circumstance of my life.
If we look to Jesus for the answers, He will see us through. The answers to life's problems do not rest in worldly ideas and philosophies. The answer to all of life is Jesus.
Let me also point out one other thing. When Peter did take His eyes off of Jesus, Jesus didn't just let him drown. Peter cried out to the Lord, and the Lord lifted him out of the waves. Jesus does not give up on us when we make a mistake or commit a sin. He is always there to help us and forgive us when we call upon His name. He is our friend, and He always wants to help us and come to our aid.
Now, how does this sign demonstrate the divine nature of Jesus. It does so in two ways. First of all, Jesus demonstrates His complete control over the natural world. Jesus was able to stop a storm by willing it to be so. Also, Jesus defied all the laws of nature by walking on the water. Only God come in the flesh can have that kind of awesome power.
Also, Jesus by His miraculous power transported a ship with twelve men in it half way across the Sea of Galilee in an instant. This is not the work of a mere man.
When we look at Jesus, we see His compassion, goodness. love and power. Jesus is amazing and wonderful. I am so glad that He is my Savior, Lord, guide and friend. I hope that you will consider turning to Jesus if you have not made Him the Lord of your life.
Next week, we will continue our series in the signs from John. I will post the verses on Monday and the review on Wednesday. May God bless you all, Amen.
PS -- Lord, please keep those in the path of the hurricane safe. Amen.
I just want to begin by thanking the Lord for all that He has done for me this week. I am feeling pretty well, and things are going pretty good at work. I am thankful for the fact that I was able to get some additional writing work this week, and the book that I am working on is progressing nicely.
In prayer this week, let us pray for those who are in the path of the terrible hurricane that is near Mexico. I heard that this is one of the strongest hurricanes meteorologists have ever recorded. Let us pray for the safety of all who are threatened by this storm. Let us also continue to pray for peace in the world and pray for those who have been displaced by the conflicts around the world.
We have been praying over the weeks for those nations where there are not that many Christians. Let us pray this week that the message of Jesus will reach Cambodia, Laos, Sudan and Mauritania.
Today in the sermon, we are continuing with our series of messages on the signs in the Gospel of John that point to the divinity of Jesus Christ. In our message last week, we examined the account of the feeding of the 5,000. This is such an important miracle that it is recorded in all four Gospels. It was a turning point in the earthly ministry of Jesus. As we saw last week, many stopped following Jesus after the teaching Jesus gave after performing this great and awesome miracle.
Right after Jesus performed the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, The disciples went down to the Sea of Galilee and set sail for the city of Capernaum. Jesus did not go with the disciples. Jesus had withdrawn by Himself up into the mountains to pray and have some solitary time.
When the disciples were about half way across the sea, darkness had overtaken them, and a strong wind began to blow making the waves treacherous. About this time, the disciples saw a figure walking on the water in the distance. They were greatly afraid and thought that they were seeing a ghost. At this point Jesus said, "It is I, don't be afraid."
This account does not record this, but another Gospel says that when Peter saw that it was Jesus, Peter asked to come out to Jesus on the water. Peter stepped out and started walking on the water too. However, at some point, Peter took his eyes off of Jesus, and Peter sank. Of course, Jesus rescued His friend.
When Jesus entered the boat, the wind and waves settled, What is most stunning about this miracle in my view is that when Jesus got in the boat, the boat immediately transported to the shore. It went three miles instantly.
This miraculous account has a lot to teach us about life and the divine nature of Jesus. First, let us look at the lessons we can apply to our lives today. One thing that really strikes me is the metaphor of the storm and how Jesus brings peace. This same idea occurs in another account when Jesus stilled the storm. This time, Jesus was in the boat with the disciples. A great storm churned the sea, and the disciples thought all was lost. All the while Jesus was sleeping. The disciples came and woke Him saying don't you care that we are about to drown. Well, of course Jesus cared about their predicament. He rebuked the storm saying, "Peace, be still." All was well.
The life we live on planet earth is filled with rough times. All of us have or will face very difficult times. These are the storms that disturb our existence. Unfortunately, some people have more than their fair share of storms.
In these rough patches of life, we must turn to Jesus as the one who calms the raging storm. He is the only one who has the power to make a difference in our lives.
When we are facing financial difficulties, poor health or broken relationships, Jesus says to us, "Be not Afraid". Jesus is right there with us in all of the hard times of life. I know this from first hand experience. As I've said here on the blog many times, If I didn't have Jesus in my life, I would not be able to exist. Knowing that He is with me has kept me going through sorrow and times of deep depression. When I have been in great fear over circumstances in the present and when I have been worried about the future, I can hear the voice of Jesus say, "Be not Afraid."
The reason that we do not have to fear is that Jesus is the one who is in our hearts and He is the one who holds our future. One minister whose sermons I like to listen to puts it this way, he says that with Jesus the worst thing is never the last thing. What he means is that when our life is in Christ, no matter what problem we face, we have the assurance that we will one day be with Jesus for all of eternity in His land where there will be no more sorrow or mourning and all will be at at peace.
One other lesson that we can learn from this account is that in all of all storms in life, when need to keep our eyes on Jesus. As it says in Hebrews chapter 12, we need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus who is the author and perfecter of our faith.
Peter was actually walking on the water and defying the storm as long as his eyes stayed on Jesus and not the storm. As soon as Peter's focus left Jesus, Peter was in trouble. This tells me that in order to make it through life, Jesus needs to be at the center of my life. He needs to be the focus of all that I do. To me this means that I pray and commune with Jesus throughout the day. I read about Him and His teachings in the Bible, and I meditate on His goodness and love.
Part of keeping Jesus at the center of my life also means putting into practice His teachings and commandments. It means asking what would Jesus do in each circumstance of my life.
If we look to Jesus for the answers, He will see us through. The answers to life's problems do not rest in worldly ideas and philosophies. The answer to all of life is Jesus.
Let me also point out one other thing. When Peter did take His eyes off of Jesus, Jesus didn't just let him drown. Peter cried out to the Lord, and the Lord lifted him out of the waves. Jesus does not give up on us when we make a mistake or commit a sin. He is always there to help us and forgive us when we call upon His name. He is our friend, and He always wants to help us and come to our aid.
Now, how does this sign demonstrate the divine nature of Jesus. It does so in two ways. First of all, Jesus demonstrates His complete control over the natural world. Jesus was able to stop a storm by willing it to be so. Also, Jesus defied all the laws of nature by walking on the water. Only God come in the flesh can have that kind of awesome power.
Also, Jesus by His miraculous power transported a ship with twelve men in it half way across the Sea of Galilee in an instant. This is not the work of a mere man.
When we look at Jesus, we see His compassion, goodness. love and power. Jesus is amazing and wonderful. I am so glad that He is my Savior, Lord, guide and friend. I hope that you will consider turning to Jesus if you have not made Him the Lord of your life.
Next week, we will continue our series in the signs from John. I will post the verses on Monday and the review on Wednesday. May God bless you all, Amen.
PS -- Lord, please keep those in the path of the hurricane safe. Amen.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Book Review -- Bible Study Books
Today for the weekly review, I would like to review two bible study book series. I really enjoy doing Bible studies on different books and topics. If a person is really going to know the Bible, it is essential that he do more than just listen to the sermon on Sunday morning. Truly knowing and understanding God's Word requires diligent study on a personal level.
Bible study books are a good way to help learn what the Bible teaches. A new Bible study series that I have recently come across is entitled "Wesley Bible Studies." This is a series where one or more books of the Bible is dealt with in 13 different lessons. The particular volume that I worked on was on Matthew's Gospel.
Each lesson has a commentary section, and then there are questions for the student to answer at the end of each lesson.
I thought the volume on Matthew was pretty good, but I did not think that this particular volume was very in depth. I was disappointed that only portions of Matthew were dealt with and not the book as a whole. I would recommend this series, but not for in depth Bible study.
A Bible study series that I would recommend wholeheartedly is the LifeGuide series published by IVP. This particular series contains volumes on individual books of the Bible as well as studies arranged on particular themes. The study I did on the Sermon on the Mount was very good.
I hope that you will find a good Bible study to help you as you attempt to learn more about God and His Word.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Verses For the Week -- Verses From Luke
Luke 15:31-32 -- "My son the father said, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."
Luke 18: 7-8 -- "Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly."
Luke 21: 27-28 -- "At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
Luke 18: 7-8 -- "Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly."
Luke 21: 27-28 -- "At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
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