Weekend Sermon -- Advent

       Today, we are expecting icing and a winter storm.  Please pray that it won't be too bad.  I am going to try to beat the worst of the weather and get into work early.  I still want to post a message, so for this week, I am reposting a Christmas sermon that appeared a few years ago here on the blog.  This appeared on the blog in 2013.

Matthew-1:18-2:23

     Last week, we looked at Mary the mother of Jesus and the way in which she demonstrates her great commitment to following the will of God for her life.  In spite of what the potential consequences were, Mary was willing to do what God wanted her to do.  She is an example for all of us to always be willing to do whatever it is God might be calling us to do.  Mary was a woman who praised God and was thankful for all that the Lord had done for her.
     Mary is not alone as an example of commitment to God in the Christmas story.  Joseph of Nazareth also plays his part in showing us a life that pleases God.
     Joseph was engaged to Mary, and I'm sure that he was shocked and angered when he first heard the news of Mary's pregnancy.  He was no doubt embarrassed and and quite possibly the object of many jokes among his companions.
     However, early on we get a picture of the kind of man Joseph was deep down in his heart and why God may have chosen Joseph to help in raising the Son of God.  Joseph, although hurt and probably angry, didn't desire any humiliation or shame to come to Mary.  The Bible says that, "Joseph being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly."  This demonstrates that Joseph was a person of true love.  At this point, Joseph is completely unaware of the miraculous nature of Mary's pregnancy.  But, Joseph sought no retaliation against Mary.
     We see in I Corinthians 13, the great chapter on love, that one the characteristics of someone who truly loves is that they are kind.  Also, they are not resentful against others.  Joseph truly was a loving, just, and virtuous man.
     As Joseph considered his predicament with Mary, an angel appeared to him with an important announcement.  The angel, probably Gabriel, told Joseph that Mary was with child from the Holy Spirit.  Joseph was instructed to take Mary as his wife and to name the child Jesus because He would save His people from their sins.
     Joseph was obedient to the commands of the Lord.  Just like Mary, Joseph was unconcerned as to what others thought about him.  He would do what the Lord asked without question.
     I hope that I can always be a person of love and integrity like Joseph.  I hope that I will always immediately be willing to do all that God asks of me.
     From Luke's gospel we know the story of how Mary and Joseph had to make their way to the city of Bethlehem in obedience to the degree that went out from Augustus.  I can imagine Joseph desperately trying to find a place for Mary to give birth besides a cattle stall.  I wonder what went through his mind when first shepherds, then wise men, came to worship the baby in a manger.
     It wasn't long before Joseph received another angelic visitation.  This time, Joseph was told to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt in order to escape the murderous plans of King Herod.  Once again, Joseph obeyed and was faithful.
     The Bible is silent as to what happened to Joseph.  It is clear that he had already passed away by the time Jesus began His public ministry.  We know that Jesus was older than 12 when Joseph died, but more than that is speculation.
     During this Christmas season, I urge you to look at the example of Mary and Joseph.  Ponder the type of people they were.  Consider why God the Father chose them to raise His Son.  Most of all, let each of us follow their example of commitment to God's call.  May we all strive to do what we can for the Glory of God. Amen.

     I hope that you enjoyed this message from the past.  Next week, I will try to post a new sermon.. I hope to post the verses on Monday, and reveal the animal book of the year on Wednesday.  May God bless you all. Amen.

Cat Book of the Year

    Last week, we revealed the dog book of the year.  This week, it is time to reveal the cat book of the year.
    My choice for cat book of the year is "Oliver, the Cat Who Saved Christmas" by Sheila Norton.  I reviewed this book on the blog not too long ago.  However, some may not have read that post.  This book is about a cat named Oliver who is living a comfortable life with his owner in a pub in England.  One night, the pub catches fire.  Oliver is able to awaken his owner and get him to safety, but Oliver is frightened, runs into the woods and gets lost.
     From there, Oliver meets two different families who take care of him while his owner is staying in London with his sister while the pub is being repaired.  The book details how Oliver is able to help the families he is staying with and people in the town have a good Christmas in spite of the difficulties they are facing.
     This is an excellent book as far as I am concerned.  It is a very positive and uplifting story with no objectionable elements in the book whatsoever.  Since it is a Christmas story, this would be a great time to pick up a copy of "Oliver, the Cat Who Saved Christmas" and read a wonderful story.
     Next week, I will reveal my choice for animal book of the year.  This category is for animal related books that aren't dog or cat related.

Verses For the Week -- Verses About Joy

     I just wanted to report that my car is repaired, and it seems to be running fairly well.  I want to thank all of you for your prayers on my behalf.  May the Lord be with you all today.

Proverbs 10:28 -- "The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing."

John 16;22 -- "Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy."

Weekend Sermon -- Advent -- Matthew 1:1-17

     Thank you for reading the Weekend Sermon today.  It is good to be with you, and I hope that all of you are having a good week.
     My week has not been going so well.  My car is having trouble, and I don't know how I am going to get to work if they don't get it fixed soon.  I'm borrowing a car right now, but I don't know how long I will be able to do that.  Please pray that my car will get fixed soon.  It seems like its just one thing after another, and I am feeling more than a little down.  Also, someone I know passed away this week, and I am upset about that.
     In prayer this week, please remember the people in Tennessee, Haiti and New Zealand who have been recovering from disasters.  Pray that they will get the aid that they need.
     Also pray for peace in the world.  Pray for peace in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine.  For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for Mali and Vietnam.  Pray that the message of the love of Jesus will reach these nations.
     For the past couple of weeks, we have been in a series of messages dealing with the Advent season.  This is a special time of the year when we anticipate Christmas and the celebration of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ.
     For today's message, I would like to focus on the genealogy of Jesus as presented in Matthew and Luke.  Matthew and Luke have differing genealogies of Jesus, and some people find this disturbing.  Many try to say that these genealogies are a contradiction disproving the validity of the Word of God.
     I don't really see why people have a problem with this.  The genealogy of Jesus in the book of Matthew is the descent through Joseph.  While Joseph was not Jesus' real father, he was Jesus adoptive father.  Jesus' physical genealogy is through His mother Mary, and her descendants down to Jesus are listed in Luke's Gospel.
     With that controversy addressed, I want to focus on what we can learn from Jesus' genealogy.  Genealogies always interest me because you never know what you are going to discover.  I have a great interest in genealogy, and I have been able to trace my ancestors back to England to the 1400s.  On my mother's side, I can trace our ancestors back to Germany in the 1700s.
     The first thing the strikes me about Jesus' genealogy is the fact that it demonstrates the fulfillment of God's covenant with King David.  God promised David that a member of his line would reign forever as king.  Jesus is the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant.  If you look at the genealogy in Luke, Jesus' line comes through David's son Nathan right down to Jesus.  Through His adoptive line, the kingship comes down through those who sat upon the throne in Jerusalem.  When Jesus comes again, He will rule and reign over all the earth forever and forever.
     The fact that Jesus is the rightful king and Messiah is also demonstrated through the genealogy.  He has royal blood, and He has the right to rule on the throne of His ancestor David.
     Jesus' genealogy also demonstrates the fulfillment of the covenant God made with Abraham.  God told Abraham that all the nations of the world would be blessed through him.  Jesus as Abraham's descendant has blessed the world by offering salvation and forgiveness to all who would call upon His name.
     Something else I find interesting in the genealogy of Jesus is that Jesus' genealogy demonstrates that all people are accepted in Christ.  In Jesus' genealogy, you will not find only Jewish ancestors, you will find gentiles as well.  Rahab was from the city of Jericho.  Ruth was from Moab, but she left her people to identify with the people of God.  No one is excluded from the love and acceptance of God.  The Lord will redeem anyone who calls upon His name.  His love is extended to all people everywhere.
    One other thing that I find in the genealogy of Jesus is that the Lord uses many different kinds of people to fulfill His will.  Jesus' genealogy is filled with the high and the lowly.  All of them were part of God's plan to bring the Messiah into the world to save the world from sin.  Thanks be to God.
     Next week, there will be another Advent sermon here on the blog.  On Wednesday, I will reveal my choice for cat book of the year.  On Monday, I will post the verses.  These are tentative dates right now depending on the car situation.  Once again, please pray for me about this.  I really appreciate it when folks pray for me.  Thank you.  May God bless you all.  Amen.

Dog Book of the Year

     It is that time of year again when I reveal my pick for the dog book of the year.  Those of you who read the blog on a regular basis know that I review books almost every Wednesday.  Most of the books I review are about dogs, cats or other animals.  At the end of the year, I reveal the books I enjoyed the most.

     This year it was very hard to choose the dog book of the year.  I read some dog books that I enjoyed very much.  After much consideration, I decided on two picks.  One dog book in the younger readers category, and one in the adult category.

     My favorite dog book in the adult category is "Secret Service Dogs" by Maria Goodavage.  This book tells about the fantastic work that these dogs do in protecting the President and his family from danger.  In this book, the author follows a few handlers and their dogs, and we really get to know these teams.  The book goes in depth about the training and work of these dog and handler teams.  I highly recommend this book.  There are some great dog stories in this book.

    Now, in the younger readers category, my favorite book I read this year was "A Dog For Life" by L.S. Matthews.  This book tells the story of a boy and his dog Mouse who travel across Britain on a great adventure.  The boy's brother is sick, and their mother thinks that Mouse will aggravate the sick boy's poor health.  The boys don't want to part with Mouse as they are able to speak with her and she is their grand friend.  The boys decide to send the younger brother to their uncle's house across the country in the hope that he will take in Mouse until the older brother is well.   This was a really great book.  It has been several years since it was first published, but I just came across by chance in the library this year.  It would be well worth the time to find this book as I am sure young and old alike would enjoy it.

    I already have two dog books ready to be reviewed here on the blog for next year.  Both of these books are great.  One of them would have been the dog book of the year if I'd have read it during this year's reading period.

     Next week, I will reveal my choice for the cat book of the year.  You can probably already guess what it will be.  The following week, I will reveal the animal book of the year.

Verses For the Week

Isaiah 11:2 -- "The Spirit of the Lord will be on him -- The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord."

Malachi 3:2 -- "But who can endure the day of his coming?  Who can stand when he appears?  For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap."

Weekend Sermon -- Advent -- Luke 1:46-55

    Welcome to another Weekend Sermon.  I am glad that you have stopped by to read the sermon today.  I hope that everyone is doing very well today.
     I am waiting to hear back about the publication of my book.  It is a slow process, and sometimes it is hard to be patient.  Please pray that all will go well with the book.  Also, please pray about my work situation.  The stress at work has caused me to develop some stomach problems.  Please pray that I will feel better, and that I can find work that will be a little less stressful.
     Here in the United States, many people lost their homes in Tennessee due to the terrible fires.  Let us pray for these families, and pray that the fires can be extinguished.  Also, continue to pray for those in Haiti, Italy, Japan and New Zealand who have been affected by natural disasters.
     Continue to pray for peace in Syria and Iraq.  For our prayer focus countries this week, please pray for Benin and India.  Pray that people will hear and respond to the message of Jesus.
     Last week, we began our series of messages on the Advent season.  We looked at the messages contained in two well-known Christmas carols.  Today, we will continue in Advent, and we will examine the words of Jesus' mother, Mary.
     Luke 1 gives us the account of the annunciation of Jesus' first coming into this world.  The Bible says that Mary was a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph.  One day, God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary to announce that she had been chosen to be the mother of Jesus who would be the Son of the Most High God.  Upon hearing about all this, Mary said as recorded in Luke 1:38, "I am the Lord's servant, May your word to me be fulfilled."  She was willing to do what the Lord asked her to do.  She would be the mother of Jesus.
     As far as I am concerned, Mary had to be the most holy woman who ever lived.  I say this because I don't believe that God would have chosen her to be the mother of His Son unless she was a holy and devout person.  Her words of obedience demonstrate her commitment to following after the way of the Lord.
     After Mary heard the words of Gabriel, she went to visit her cousin Elizabeth who lived in the hill country of Judea.  Elizabeth was the woman who would be the mother of John the Baptist.  She was already six months pregnant when Mary came to visit her.  When Elizabeth heard Mary's voice, the baby leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  She said that Mary was blessed among women and that Mary was the mother of the Lord.
     When Mary heard Elizabeth's word, she uttered the words that are known as the Magnificat.  They are powerful words, and I want to focus upon them today.
     In Luke 46-47 Mary says, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."  Mary was a woman who was filled with praise directed toward the Lord.  She recognized that God was her Savior, and she gave praise unto His name.  We need to follow the example of Mary, and direct our praises to the Lord.  He has done such great things for us.  During this Advent season, let us focus our attention on the greatness of the Lord.  Jesus loved us so much that He came to earth as a baby.  He lived a perfect, holy and sinless life to be our example.  He came to die to save us from our sins.  During this Christmas season, let us not forget to give Jesus all the honor, glory and praise that He so rightly deserves.
     In verse 48 Mary states, "He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant.  From now on, all generations will call me blessed."  The Lord often uses those in humble circumstances to do mighty things.  The Lord chose a peasant girl to be the mother of Jesus and a carpenter to be Jesus' stepfather.  God chose people like Gideon and David in the Old Testament.  These were people that others overlooked, yet God chose them to do great things for Him.  Today, no matter your state, if you humble yourself in obedience to God, God will use you to do great things for Him.  Generations have recognized that Mary was blessed to be the mother of the Lord.
     Skipping down to verse 51-52 Mary says, "He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble."  The Bible is quite clear that pride comes before a fall.  Whenever someone gets lifted up with pride, they will be brought down.  There are three examples of this I can think of right away.  The devil was lifted up with pride.  He thought he could be like God, and the devil ended up being cast down.  Nebuchadnezzer thought he was great, but he was brought low.  Herod in the book of Acts exalted himself, but he was killed instantly.  God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.  Those with a humble heart are pleasing to the Lord.  The great example of humility in all of the Bible is Jesus.  He humbled Himself and became obedient even unto death on the cross.
     The Lord will bring down all those who exalt themselves in pride.  Right now, there are a lot of rulers and leaders in this world that are impressed with themselves and their power.  The Lord can bring them down at any moment.  The Lord will not tarry long with those who exalt themselves and oppress others.  One day, all those who have exploited and oppressed the poor and the weak will stand before the judgment seat of the Lord.  They will be brought low, but the poor, the weak and the oppressed will be lifted up by the Lord.
     We see this so clearly expressed in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.  The rich man lifted up his eyes being in torment while Lazarus was at rest and in peace in Abraham's bosom.
     Mary continued in verse 53, "He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty."  I wonder if this was not a prophecy of what her Son Jesus would do in His earthly ministry.  Jesus feed the 5,000 on one occasion and the 4,000 at another time.  He was the bread that came down from Heaven to feed the hunger in the souls of men and women.  While Jesus was on this earth, it was the poor and the downtrodden who were attracted to Jesus.  The rich, the powerful and the religious leaders spurned the Lord and wanted nothing to do with Him.
     One day, when Jesus returns to establish His kingdom on earth that will have no end, He will bring justice to the poor and the oppressed.  Those who were hungry will be filled,  Those who had little will be blessed by the Lord.  Those who were rich and exploited others for their own selfish desires will depart from the presence of the Lord empty handed.
     We live in a day and age that is filled with greed and oppression.  The corporate elites and the powerful do everything in their power to keep people in poverty.  They will crush anyone to get what they want.  The church of Jesus Christ should stand up against the forces of oppression and stand for peace with justice in this world
     Mary concludes in verses 54-55 remembering God's faithful promises to Israel.  God has not forgotten His people.  The child in Mary's womb was the fulfillment of all of God's promises.  Through Jesus all the nations of the world would be blessed.  Through Jesus, a descendant of David would sit forever ruling from the throne.  Through Jesus all people can come to a relationship with the Father.
     I love these words of Mary the mother of Jesus.  They are powerful words that should grip our hearts.  We have much to learn from them.
     Next week, I will reveal my dog book of the year on Wednesday weather permitting.  We might have a lot of snow.  Hopeful not.  On Monday, I will post the verses.  Next week in the sermon, we will continue with our Advent messages.  May God bless you all.  Amen.