Weekend Sermon -- Apostles' Creed -- "He Shall Come to Judge the Living and the Dead."

     Hello and welcome to another edition of the Weekend Sermon.  I am happy to be with you today as I always look forward to the time during the week when I can post another message.  I hope that all of you are having a good day.
     I am making some big decisions about work and life in the next couple of weeks.  I would ask that you please pray for me as I make these decisions.  I do not like the changes at my current job at all.  I just want to make a major change in my life, and I need to figure out how best to accomplish it.  Also, if you would pray for a health concern.  I have to have some problems tended to this week.  Please be in prayer for me.  Thank you.
     In other matters, please pray for an end to the Zika virus.  I also heard that there are still a few scattered Ebola cases in Africa.  Please pray for an end to these terrible diseases.  Also, pray for peace in this world.  Nigeria is experiencing a problem with terrorist attacks and Sudan, South Sudan and Central African Republic need our prayers.
     Let us pray that the message of Jesus will reach around the world.  Let us pray specifically this week for Comoros and Saudi Arabia.
     Over the last several weeks, we have been studying the Apostles' Creed and the doctrines which it has to teach us.  Last week, we examined the current ministry of Jesus as He is seated at the right hand of God the Father.
     This week, we will focus on the phrase, "He shall come to judge the living and the dead."  The subject of the final judgment is not something that most of us want to focus on.  It causes anxiety in our hearts.  However, the Bible is quite clear that all will stand before Jesus who is the judge.  But, the judgments of the believer and the unbeliever are very different.
     To begin, let's look at what Jesus Himself said about the last judgment and His role in this matter.  In John 5:22 and 5:27, Jesus tells us that all judgment has been given to Him by the Father.  The Father doesn't judge anyone.  All judgment has been given to the Son because He is the Son of Man.
    We think of Jesus as our Savior, Lord and Friend.  He is also the judge of all of humanity.  However, this is a good thing, because Jesus doesn't look at outward appearances.  He looks at the heart.  He knows what is in people, and He knows what is in the heart of person and what motivates a person.  His judgment is just and right and good.
     Now, when will Jesus judge the living and the dead.  Jesus Himself answers this question in Matthew 13:49 and in Matthew 25.   Jesus said that He would judge all when He returned at His Second Coming.  As we saw last week, Jesus is currently seated at the Father's right hand.  One day, Jesus will arise, and He will come again in power and great glory.  He will send His angels to separate the righteous from the unrighteous.  Matthew 25 says that Jesus will separate the nations as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
     The first judgment that will be made is between those who are in Christ and those who are not.  Jesus knows who are His own.  Those who have called upon Jesus in repentance and faith will be redeemed.  Jesus makes it clear in Matthew 25, that those who have a right relationship with Him will have evidence of their faith by their works.  Those who have feed the hungry, clothed the naked and done good to the least of these have demonstrated clearly that they are followers of Jesus Christ.
     The Bible also speaks of a judgment that believers in Jesus will experience.  II Corinthians 5:10 says that all Christians will stand before the judgment seat of Christ.  This is not a judgment to see if we will go to Heaven or not.  It is a judgment of reward for those who have done things for the Lord.  Jesus said that those who have faithfully followed Him will be rewarded in the world to come.
     When believers stand before the judgment seat of Christ, their works will be judged.  Those works that are not done for Jesus are described as wood, hay and stubble.  When the fire of judgment comes, those works are burned up, and nothing remains.  Those works that are done to honor Jesus are described as gold, silver and precious stones.  The fire does not consume them, and they remain.
     Also, the Bible speaks about various crowns that will be awarded to Christians based on their faithfulness and service to the Lord.  I have posted a sermon about these crowns a couple of years ago.  Those who are interested might want to go back and read about those.
    The Bible is clear that only what is done for Jesus will remain.  Jesus will reward us for all the good we have done for Him.  If we have tried to do what is right and make this world a better place, Jesus will reward us.
     When I stand before Jesus, I want to have something to show for my life.  I don't want my life to be all wood, hay and stubble.  I want to have a crown to cast before the feet of my Savior.  We as followers of Jesus should all live to serve our Lord and do what pleases Him in this world.
     Now, the Bible also says that Jesus will sit as the judge at a horrible judgment of those who have rejected Jesus.  The Bible describes this in Revelation 20 as the great white throne judgment.
     At this judgment those who have rejected Jesus will stand before Him.  The books will be opened, and anyone whose name is not found written in the Lamb's Book of Life will be cast away from the presence of the Lord.  I hope and pray each day that no one will have to appear before this judgment.
     No one has to appear before the great white throne.  Jesus came to take our sin and punishment.  He came to provide forgiveness.  Anyone who will ask Jesus to forgive them and come into their life as Savior and Lord will never stand before the great white throne.  Those who accept Jesus will have their names written in the Lamb's Book of Life, and they will spend an eternity with Jesus.
     If you have never invited Jesus to be the Lord of your life, I hope that you will turn to Him today.  If you are a Christian, but your life is not producing those things that will last for all of eternity, I pray that you will devote your life to going full out in service for the Lord so that you will hear Him say "Well done you good and faithful servant."
     Next week, we will continue with our series in the Apostles' Creed by looking at the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.  I will post the verses on Monday, but there will most likely not be a review this Wednesday as I have some medical appointments.  May good bless you all.  Amen.

Book Review

    The two books that I would like to review today are both written by Peg Kehret.  "The Stranger Next Door" and "Spy Cat" are two books written for younger readers that recount the adventures of Pete the cat and his owner Alex.
     In the first book, Alex and his family have just moved to a new neighborhood.  Alex is hoping to meet some new friends, but he is encountering hostility at school.  A series of fires are also happening around the new neighborhood.
     Pete is a smart cat who tries to give his family clues as to what is happening, but all they can hear are Pete's meows which they translate as requests for food.  Pete must try to get people to understand who the criminal is.
    In the second book, robberies are happening in the neighborhood.  Alex's brother is kidnapped by the robbers, and it is up to Pete to save the day.
    These books are good books for younger readers.  Some young adult and children's books about animals I find quite good for all ages of animal lovers.  These two books, as least as far as I am concerned, wouldn't be of interest to those older than 12.  However, younger children would like them.

Verses For The Week

Here are two new memory verses.

Matthew 5:12 -- "Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in Heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Psalm 33:1 -- "Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!  For praise from the upright is beautiful."

Weekend Sermon -- Apostles' Creed -- "He Sitteth On the Right Hand of the Father Almighty"

     It is very good to be able to be with you for this week's edition of the Weekend Sermon.  I hope that everyone is having a good day.  I would like to thank all of you for taking the time to read the posts and sermons.
     This past week has been filled with work for me.  I've been taking care of two lawns, working on writing and working at my job.  Next week, I am going to be getting a new supervisor at work.  Please pray that this goes well.  I am always nervous when a new person comes in.  You never know what to expect.  I've been feeling pretty good, so thank you for all your prayers in this area.
     As we go to prayer this week, let us continue to focus our prayers on the Zika virus.  Let us pray that this virus can be eradicated.  Also, let us pray for those suffering from the effects of the war in Syria.  Pray for peace in this troubled land, and pray for peace in Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine.  I heard on the news that there might be a peace agreement among some of the parties in Libya.  Hopefully, this country will know peace.
     This week, I read a report on the nations that have the smallest percentage of Christians.  I want us to focus on two countries from this list of 20 nations each week.  This week, let's pray for the nations of Maldives and Somalia.
     In last week's message, we focused on the portion of the Apostles' Creed that stated, "He ascended in Heaven."  We focused on the importance of this doctrine in the life of the church.  Today, we will focus our attention on the next phrase of the Creed which states, "He sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty."  This phrase focuses our attention on the present work of Jesus Christ in Heaven.
     Hebrews 1:3 tells us that after Jesus had completed the work of the purification of our sins, He sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.  This same idea is also expressed in Hebrews 8:1 and Ephesians 1:20.
     In Acts chapter 7 we read the story of Stephen who was the first Christian martyr.  As Stephen was being stoned to death, he looked up  and saw the throne room of Heaven.  There, he saw Jesus on the right hand of the Father.
     Why is it important to say that Jesus is seated at the Father's right hand?  There are two important aspects of this.  First of all, the act of sitting down designates that work has been completed.  Jesus is seated because He finished the work that was set before Him by the Father.  He came to redeem us from sin and to deal with the consequences of sin.
     In the culture in which the Bible was written, to be seated at the right hand of a powerful king or ruler meant that you had a position of power and favor.  The Father accepted the work of the Son in His death and resurrection.  He exalted the Son to sit at His right hand.  At this very moment, Jesus is ruling and reigning with the Father over all of creation and over the Heavenly realms. I Peter 3:22 speaks about the rule of Jesus in Heaven. Jesus is truly the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  One day, every being will acknowledge this and bow the knee to Jesus Christ.
     Because He is seated at the Father's right hand, Jesus is currently performing certain ministries on behalf on His followers.  Romans 8:34 tells us that Jesus is at the Father's right hand interceding for us.  What does this mean?  What I believe this means is that Jesus is making requests to the Father on our behalf.  Jesus wants good things for those who follow Him.  When we pray in the name of Jesus, Jesus acts on our behalf.  Jesus is our great High Priest who has been touched by the feelings of our infirmities.  When we pray, He can help us and comfort us because He had been where we are.
      I also believe that Jesus is interceding for us in regard to judgment.  When we sin, Jesus stands in our place.  His righteousness covers us and cleanses us from sin.  The judgment of the Father is not brought against us for our sins because Jesus has interceded for us by His righteousness.
     I John 2:1  tells us that Jesus is our Advocate with the Father.  He is the one who pleads our case.  What does this mean?  The Bible says in the book of Revelation that Satan is the accuser of the brethren.  He is always trying to bring accusations against us to God when we sin.  However, Jesus stands as our representative.  Those of us who are in Christ Jesus have Jesus stating to the Father that we are in Christ.  There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.  When we are in Jesus, the devil's accusations are worthless.
     Jesus Christ is on our side.  He loves us and He cares for us.  He will be with us for all of eternity.  There is one other thing that Jesus is now doing that I wanted to emphasize.  Jesus told His disciples in the Upper Room Discourse, that He was going to prepare a place for them and for us.  He was doing this because He wanted His followers to be with Him forever and forever.  I believe that right now, Jesus is making a wonderful place for us in Heaven, where we will enjoy happiness and joy beyond our wildest imagination when we see Jesus face to face.
     Jesus has done and is doing so much for us.  We should give Him all the praise and glory all the time.
     For those who know Jesus as Savior and Lord, Jesus also lives in our hearts.  He guides us and leads us throughout our lives.  He is our Friend.  If you don't know Jesus as Savior and Lord, I pray that you will ask Him to forgive your sins and be your Savior.  I pray that you will invite Jesus to take control of your life today.  Thank you Jesus, for all that you have done and for all that you are doing and for all that you will do.
     Next week, I will post the verses on Monday.  I will have a review on Wednesday and the sermon will appear on Friday.  May God bless you all.  Amen.
   

Dog Book and Dog Movie Review

     In today's post, I would like to review both a dog book and a dog movie.  The book is called, "A Dog For Life" written by L.S. Matthews.  This book tells the story of two brothers named Tom and John, a dog named Mouse and a journey that Mouse and John take across England.
     As the book begins, we learn that Tom and John live with their Mother in northern England.  The boy's Dad has passed away.  The two boys have a special relationship with Mouse the dog with whom they can communicate telepathically.
     Tom becomes gravely ill, and his doctor tells his Mom that Mouse will have to go because she might give Tom a disease.  The Mom decides to send Mouse to the pound, but Tom and John aren't about to go along with this.  They devise a plan for John and Mouse to travel to the south of England to find their Dad's brother.  They believe that he will take Mouse in and help them.
     Mouse and John embark on their journey.  Along the way, they have the chance to do a lot of good, and they have a grand adventure.  The section where John and Mouse attempt to rescue some horses and the section where they meet the the Gypsies are quite good.
     I don't want to reveal too much more about the plot lest I give away the ending.  I definitely recommend "A Dog For Life".  It is written for younger readers, but I think that anyone who enjoys a good dog story would really like the book.  Mouse is quite a dog.
     Now, on to the dog movie.  Yesterday, I finally got around to watching a movie I'd wanted to see for a long time.  The movie is called "Max".  "Max" is the story about a Belgian Malinois dog who is deployed with a soldier in Afghanistan.  Max's handler is killed in an IED explosion, and Max is lost.  He becomes unworkable, and he is sent back to the U.S.
     The only one that Max will respond to is his handler's younger brother.  Over the course of the movie, these two form a great relationship.
     After we realize that Max and Justin will be good friends the two find themselves in an adventure involving an ex-marine Justin's brother Kyle served with, a crooked policeman and a group of illegal gun runners.
     I thought that this was an excellent movie.  There is a lot of action and the dog does a lot in this movie.  The movie is rated PG, and there isn't really anything objectionable in the film.  It is rather violent, so keep that in mind if young children are going to watch it.
     A good dog book and a good dog movie help to make for a good week.

Verses For the Week

Here are the memory verses for this week.

Matthew 5:11 -- "Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake."

Hebrews 11:6 -- "But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to Him must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him."

Weekend Sermon -- "Apostles' Creed" -- "He Ascended Into Heaven"

     Welcome to a new edition of the Weekend Sermon.  Thank you for reading today's sermon.  I hope and pray that everyone is doing well and enjoying the day.
     I want to begin by thanking those who prayed about the storms in my area.  Where I live, we missed the bad weather.  Unfortunately, those about 150 miles south of me had terrible weather.  I know that they had at least three tornadoes.  Please pray that those who were harmed by these storms will be able to recover.  I am glad we didn't get the storms, I just wish no one got the severe weather.  It's hard enough to make it each day without storms coming along and causing more problems.
     As we go to prayer this week, please remember to pray for an end to the Zika virus.  I heard a report on NPR this week that in some places, the virus is spreading widely.  Let us pray that the virus will end and a vaccine can be found.  Let us also pray that Ebola does not pick back up again.
     Let us continue to pray that the message of forgiveness through Jesus will spread around the world.  Please pray for the country in which you live and pray for Mongolia, Brunei, Indonesia and Kuwait.  Let us continue to pray for peace in the world as well.
     Last week, we continued with our series of messages in the Apostles' Creed.  We were on the section about the resurrection of Jesus on Easter weekend which worked out just right.  I didn't plan it that way, but it worked out nicely.
     Today, we will continue our series in the Creed looking at the statement, "He ascended into Heaven."   The resurrection of Jesus on Easter morning was a tremendous event.  Jesus was alive again.  What a great day!  But. the resurrection of Jesus does not mark the end of Jesus' ministry here on the earth.
     The Bible states in Acts 1:3 that Jesus was on the earth for forty days after His resurrection.  He provided convincing proofs, the Bible says, that He was alive again.  What are some of these convincing proofs?  Well, Jesus appeared several times to His disciples.  Initially, He appeared to ten of the disciples in a locked room.  Jesus came right through the door.
     At this appearance, Thomas was not with the others.  Thomas said that he would not believe that Jesus was alive unless he saw Jesus' wounds of crucifixion.  Jesus did appear again when Thomas was present with the others.  Jesus showed Thomas His hands and side.  Thomas believed and worshiped Jesus calling Jesus his Lord and his God.  Jesus said to Thomas, "Blessed are they that have not seen and yet believed."
     In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes another post resurrection appearance when some of the disciples were out fishing.  Jesus also appeared to the two men who were on the road to Emmaus.
     In I Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul states that Jesus appeared to His disciples, to His brother James, and to over 500 other people.  Paul said that some of those people were still alive in his day and could testify to the fact that Jesus was alive.  The risen Lord also appeared to Paul on the Damascus road.
     Eventually, it was time for Jesus to leave this earth.  As recorded in Acts 1, Jesus was outside the city with His disciples.  At this time, Jesus gave two instructions to His followers.  He told them to stay in Jerusalem for a few days until they received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  This would happen on Pentecost.  Jesus also gave the Great Commission to His followers.  He told them to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth.
     At that point, Jesus began to rise up into the clouds into He was completely out of sight.  Jesus' followers were quite surprised and were just standing around looking up.  Then angels came and said to the disciples, "Men of Galilee, Why stand ye gazing into Heaven?"  The angels told the disciples that just as Jesus had ascended up into Heaven, Jesus would one day return to earth in His glorious Second Coming.
     The ascension is an important Christian doctrine for two reasons at least.  First of all, it demonstrates that Jesus truly was risen and had completed the work that was set before Him by the Father.  By ascending into Heaven, it was a sign that God the Father had accepted the work of Jesus on earth and was welcoming Him back into Heaven.
     The ascension is also important, because it sets the stage for the continuing work of Christ on our behalf in Heaven.  When we look at the next section of the Creed next week, we will study much more about this.
     I just want to focus on the two commandments that Jesus gave before He ascended up to Heaven.  First of all, we have the Great Commission.  All followers of Jesus Christ have been given the task of spreading His message of love and forgiveness to this world.  We are to take the message of Jesus all across the globe.
     I realize that not all of us can be missionaries to a country that is not our own.  However, each and every one of us can be a witness right where God has placed us.  We can tell people about Jesus at our place of employment and in our neighborhoods.  We can share the message of Christ with our family and with our friends.  We can also give to missions so that those who have been called by Jesus can take His message to those who have not heard.  We can also pray as I call you to do each week in the messages for those nations where there aren't that many Christians.
     Only 30 percent of the world's population claims to be any form of Christian.  This means that 70 percent of this world is the mission field.  Let us all work to bring others to Christ.
     We can only be effective witnesses for Jesus when we have received the power of the Holy Spirit.  Always pray for the power and the anointing of the Holy Spirit when you seek to minister for the Lord.  When we pray for the the power of the Spirit, the Spirit will give us the wisdom and the strength to serve the Lord.  Pray each day that the Holy Spirit will empower you for service for the Kingdom of Heaven.
     Next week, we will continue with our series in the Apostles' Creed.  The verses will be posted on Tuesday this week as I will not be able to post them on Monday.  There will be a review on Wednesday and the sermon will appear on Friday.  May God bless you all .  Amen.