Book Review -- "Cat Shout For Joy"

     Today is a good day because I get to post a very positive review about the newest book in a series of mysteries that is my favorite.  "Cat Shout For Joy" is the 19th book in the Joe Grey mystery series written by Shirley Rousseau Murphy.
     For those of you who aren't familiar with the series, Joe Grey is a cat who has the power of speech.  He is part of a rare line of cats with this power.  Joe's friends Dulcie, Kit, Pan and Misto are also able to speak.
     In "Cat Shout For Joy" there are a lot of things going on, but the mystery solving element is certainly prominent.  Dulcie is expecting kittens, Pan and Kit are exploring a magical realm, and Misto is living out his last days.  All this leaves Joe to do most of the crime fighting.
     All of the stories in "Cat Shout For Joy" are interesting and weave together to make the book among the best in the series.
     If you haven't read the series before, I don't recommend that you start with this book.  The book is definitely written for long-time fans of the series.  New readers are not going to really know what is going on and who the characters are.
     All of the Joe Grey books are in print, so I recommend that you start with book one called "Cat On the Edge" and just keep reading until you finish "Cat Shout For Joy."
     For those familiar with the series, I think that this book let's us know that maybe Max Harper knows more about the identity of his informants than he has let on in the past.  Hopefully there will be another Joe Grey book soon, and more will be revealed about this.

Verses For the Week

Here are two new verses to memorize.

Matthew 5:7 -- "Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy."

I Corinthians 15:22 -- "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive."

Weekend Sermon -- Apostles' Creed -- "Suffered Under Pontius Pilate Part 2"

     Hello, and welcome to another posting of the Weekend Sermon.  It is very good to be able to post the sermon again this week.  I pray that all of you are doing well.
     I have had a busy week at work and working around the house.  I'm trying to get the last draft of my book done, but I have been delayed.  I am feeling a little bit better.  Tomorrow is my friend's memorial service.  I would ask that you please pray for his family during this time of sorrow and hardship.  Also, please pray that my roof doesn't have any more problems.
     As we go to prayer this week, please pray for the problems that are facing this world.  Pray that people would care about the environment and seek to protect the planet.  Pray for an answer to the migrant crisis in Europe.  Pray for those suffering as a result of disease and natural disaster.
     Let us continue to pray that the message of the love of Jesus might continue to reach people all around the world.  Please pray for the nations of Benin, Sierra Leone, Vietnam and Nepal.
     For the past several weeks, we have been studying a series of messages concerning what the Apostles' Creed has to teach us.  In last week's message, we began examining the phrase, "He suffered under Pontius Pilate."  We focused on the fact of the historical reality of the ministry of Jesus Christ.  We also touched on the fact that Jesus suffered for us.
     I would like to pick up on the theme of the sufferings of Jesus in the message for today.  Jesus certainly did suffer under Pontius Pilate.  Jesus was beaten and mocked in a cruel and inhuman manner by Pilate and his Roman soldiers.  Jesus suffered the terrible pain and humiliation of crucifixion.  I can't even imagine the pain that Jesus suffered for us as He went through His ordeal before Pilate and on the cross.  To think that Jesus suffered so that I might be redeemed makes me love the Lord Jesus and want to do what is pleasing to Him.
     As I've thought about the sufferings of Jesus for the past several days, I have thought about the ways in which Jesus suffered and the ways I think that He suffers even now.  I think that we can see quite clearly from the Bible that Jesus experienced suffering on various levels while He was here on earth.
     First of all, as I mentioned briefly last week, Jesus suffered due to the fact that He took upon Himself the form of a servant and left the glories of Heaven to be born among us.  That in my mind would have been a great form of suffering.
     Jesus also suffered many of the things that we go through in life.  For instance, Jesus experienced the sorrow of losing those who were close to Him.  I think it is quite evident that Joseph died before Jesus began His ministry.  I am without doubt that Jesus would have felt deep sorrow at the loss of the man who was His earthly father.  Jesus also suffered the loss of a friend.  Jesus wept when His friend Lazarus died.
     Jesus also suffered as a result of being misunderstood throughout His life.  People ridiculed the circumstances of His birth, and the people of His hometown of Nazareth didn't want to listen to what He had to say.  At one point, Jesus' cousin John the Baptist even expressed some doubt as to who Jesus was.
     Jesus also suffered rejection on different levels.  He was rejected by those He had come to save.  The Bible says that He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.  The Bible also said that Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem knowing that they would not heed the message that He was bringing to them.  In fact, when offered the choice by Pilate of Jesus or Barabbas the criminal, the people chose Barabbas.  They said that they would not have Jesus to reign over them.  They shouted for Jesus to be crucified.  At one point, Jesus even experienced the rejection of His family.  The Gospels record that Jesus' brothers mocked Him in John 7 and once they thought Jesus was insane and tried to take Him away.
     I think that one of the things that caused Jesus great suffering in the world was when He was betrayed by someone who pretended to be His friend.  When someone who is close to you turns their back on you, it hurts very deeply.  There is no emotional hurt like it.
     One other way that Jesus suffered while on this earth was that it broke His heart to see people in the state that they were in.  It hurt Jesus that people were in spiritual distress like sheep without a shepherd.  It hurt Him to see so many people that were sick and hurting mentally and physically.
     These are just some of the ways that I believe Jesus suffered while He was on earth.  However, there are things that I believe bring suffering to Jesus even now.
     I think that it hurts Jesus' heart when He looks at what people have done in His name that is wrong and hurtful.  When people are violent in the name of Jesus and harm others, this causes pain to the Lord.
     When those who claim to be His followers do not act in the manner that He taught them to act, this causes Jesus suffering.  So many say Lord, Lord, yet they do not do what He says.  We see a world that is hurting and in need, yet we pass by on the other side and do not stop to aid those who need to experience the love of Jesus through us.
     Jesus feels the suffering of rejection even today.  Only 30 percent of the people of this world are Christians in any form.  Roughly 70 percent of the world's population has rejected Jesus and turned to other gods or no god at all.  Even though Jesus has given His life for this world, this world still turns its back on Him.
    I believe that Jesus suffers when He sees the current state of the church.  There is so much fighting and disunity in the body of Christ that it must cause Jesus great sorrow.
    Because Jesus knows what it is to suffer, it allows Him to comfort us in the midst of our sufferings in this life.  Hebrews 4:15 says it this way, "For we  have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points temped like as we are, yet without sin."  Jesus has been were we are, so He know what we are going through.
    When I have experienced times of hardship in my life, it has been comforting to realize that Jesus is with me and helping me.  He can be with me in a special way, because He knows what I am going through.  He understands. He has been there.
     When I lost those who were closest to me, I knew that Jesus lost so many He loved, and He speaks peace to my heart and comforts me with the knowledge of one who has experienced the same thing.
     Jesus experienced the sufferings and hardships of this life.  He can help you through the most difficult circumstances you face.  He simply wants us to ask Him to help us.  He is always with us whether we realize it or not, because Jesus said that He would never leave us or forsake us.  He is full of compassion, and we can cast all of our cares upon Him because He cares for us.
     If you have not turned your life over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, you don't know what you are missing.  Jesus is the best friend that you could ever have.  He is the friend that sticks closer than a brother.  If you turn to Him, He will forgive you, and He will be by your side throughout this life, and you will be with Him in His presence in the world that is to come.
     Next week, we will continue our Apostles' Creed series by examining the phrase, "He was crucified, dead and buried."  In this message, I want to examine the various ideas of the atonement that have been prominent in Christian history.  On Monday, I will post more memory verses.  I will have a review on Wednesday.  May God bless you all.  Amen.

Book Recommendations

     Since we are in the midst of the Lenten season, I just wanted to recommend some books that I have enjoyed.  These books are about the life and ministry of Jesus.

"The Jesus I Never Knew" written by Philip Yancey is one of my favorite books about Jesus.  Like all of Yancey's books, it is well-written and understandable for even those who are not that familiar with the Christian faith.

"The Meaning of Jesus:  Two Visions" by Marcus Borg and N.T. Wright presents two very different ideas of who Jesus is and what He did.  I've always found Borg interesting to read even if I don't agree with him too much.

"24 Hours That Changed the World" by Adam Hamilton is a good book that deals with the crucifixion and its meaning to us.

"Jesus Lord and Savior" by F.F Bruce gives great insight into the ministry of Jesus.  Since it is written by a theologian, it is a book better suited to those who have studied a little bit of theology.

"Simply Jesus" by N.T Wright provides a more in depth look at Jesus than in the first N.T Wright book on this list.

"A Portrait of Jesus" by Joseph Girzone is a good book about the life of Christ.

"Jesus: A Pilgrimage"  by James Martin is a book that I have reviewed on the blog before.  I highly recommend it.

"3:16 The Numbers of Hope" by Max Lucado is a great book about the love for us Jesus demonstrated on the cross.

     This are just a very few of the good books that I have read about Jesus.  I have read many, many books about Jesus and Christology from a variety of perspectives.  I will recommend and review some of these at a later date.

     I have been reading a lot of good books lately, and I will be reviewing these on the blog in the weeks to come.

Verses For the Week

    I hope that everyone is successfully memorizing the verses that I have posted so far.  Here are the memory verses for this week.

Matthew 5;6 -- "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled."

Revelation 21:1 -- "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.  Also, there was no more sea."

Weekend Sermon -- "Apostles' Creed" -- "He Suffered Under Pontius Pilate."

     Thank you for joining me for another edition of the Weekend Sermon.  I look forward each week to being able to write up and post these messages.  I hope that they are of benefit to you who read them.
     I had a job interview this week, and it seemed to go fairly well.  I am considering a job change, so please pray with me about this.  I really want to go into full-time ministry work, so pray that I can find the resources to do this.  I have wanted to sell my house in order to get the money I need, but every time I try to sell it, something happens.  The roof had some damage again in the winds.  The contractors all want too much to fix it, so I am going to try and go up on the roof tomorrow and see if I can repair it.  I am very afraid to go up on the roof.  I'm not sure that I can do it, so please pray for me that I won't fall off the roof, and if I can't get the courage to get up there, pray that I can find someone to fix it at a reasonable rate.
     This week, please pray for the people of Fiji who experienced a terrible storm.  There is a lot of damage there.  Pray for aid and help to reach those people.
     Let us also continue to pray for peace in the world.  Syria, Iraq, Libya, and South Sudan are just a few of the nations in this world that need our prayers.
     As we pray for the nations of the world to hear the message of Jesus' love this week, let us pray for Suriname, Turkey, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
     For the last few weeks, we have been in a series of messages about the Apostles' Creed.  We have been examining the Creed section by section to see what it has to teach us about the important doctrines of the Christian faith.  Last week, we examined the importance of the doctrine of the Virgin birth of Jesus. There are a few things that I want to discuss about the relevance of this doctrine before I move on to the next section of the Creed.
     It is important for us to recognize the fact that Jesus actually came in the flesh.  He was not a spirit who appeared as if He possessed a physical body.  The false doctrine that Jesus did not come in the flesh began early on in the church.  The Apostle John writing in I John 1:1 touches on the the fact that this doctrine was starting even in his day.  John makes the point that he saw Jesus, and he touched Jesus' physical body.
     The idea that the physical body is evil and impure and is somehow imprisoning the spirit developed in the Gnostic beliefs and in other religions.  This teaching is contrary to all of Scripture.  Everything that God created is good.  God created our physical bodies, and although they are touched by the effects of sin, they will one day be redeemed along with all of creation.
    One day, the Bible teaches, we will receive a glorified body just like Jesus' glorified body.  The Bible teaches a bodily resurrection.  Paul speaks about this in I Thessalonians and in I Corinthians 15.  Jesus spoke about the fact that those who were in the grave would rise bodily when He made His glorious return.
     Some Christians hold to the mistaken notion that when we die we will just be a spirit that is in Heaven.  This is not what the Bible teaches.  We will receive a new body, and we will rule and reign with Jesus Christ upon this earth when He establishes His kingdom that will have no end.
     Jesus taking upon Himself human flesh demonstrates the importance of the physical creation.  It demonstrates that God has and will redeem us in body, soul and spirit.
     Now, let us turn our attention to the the phrase, "He suffered under Pontius Pilate."  I don't want to focus on the crucifixion of Jesus per se as we examine this section of the Creed.  What I do want to point out is that this phrase points to the fact that Jesus was a real figure of history.  The Creed fixes Jesus at a specific place and time in human affairs.
     Pilate was an historical figure, and we have historical proof that he actually existed and ruled as the governor of the area of Judea.  Jesus lived and ministered during this time.  He suffered and died during a set historical period.
     Jesus was not the figment of some people's imagination.  He was the living and breathing God man.  There is a great deal of historical evidence that Jesus lived.  I think that the greatest proof of Jesus' actual historical existence is evidenced in the actions of His Apostles.  They were willing to suffer terribly, and all of the Apostles but one were killed for their faith in Jesus.  I seriously doubt that they all would have been willing to do this for something that they just fabricated.
     The entire Bible is concerned with history, and historical evidence helps to bring validity to the Bible's accounts.  For instance, there is much evidence for the events of the reign of King Hezekiah.  Other kings are also verified by history.  It makes for a very interesting study to examine all of the accounts of the Bible that are confirmed by history and archaeology.
     There is another important aspect of the phrase, "He suffered under Pontius Pilate" that I would like to discuss.  Jesus suffered.  I believe that Jesus' entire life involved suffering.  Think about it.  As the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, Jesus enjoyed all of the splendors of Heaven.  In order to redeem us and put the cosmic order back to right, Jesus came to this earth in the form of a servant as Paul puts it in Philippians.  Leaving all that to become a man had to be suffering in and of itself.  As a man, Jesus would have suffered what is common to all people all this earth.
     However, Jesus suffered as no man has ever suffered.  Jesus as the Lamb of God took our sins upon Himself as He was on the cross.  He suffered separation from His Heavenly Father at this time causing Jesus to cry out, "My God, My God.  Why have you forsaken Me."  How Jesus must have suffered at this time.  I can't even imagine it.
     Jesus went through all of this for you and me.  He suffered and died so that we might be redeemed and have forgiveness of sins and a new life in Him.  He calls us now to place our faith and trust in His work on the cross.  He invites us to make Him the Savior and Lord of our lives.
     I have discussed many different topics this week.  Next week, we will continue with our study of the Apostles' Creed.  I will post the memory verses on Monday.  I hope to have a review on Wednesday.  May God bless you all.  Amen.

   

Verses For the Week

     I hope that everyone was able to memorize the verses from last week.  Here are two more verses to memorize.

Matthew 5:5 -- "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

Psalm 19:1 -- "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork."