Deuteronomy 10:18 -- "He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing."
Thank you for your prayers about the bad weather in my area. The ice storm that was predicted did not cause much problem where I live. I thank the Lord for that. However, just to the south and west of where I live, they did have some big problems. Please pray that these folks will get their power restored quickly. Also, please continue to pray for those affected by the storms in California and Nevada.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Friday, January 13, 2017
Weekend Sermon -- Parables of Jesus-- Mark 4:21
Thank you for reading the sermon this week. I am glad to be able to post the sermon today. We are still expecting a bad ice storm in my area. Please pray that there is not a lot of problems from this. Pray that the amounts are not too high and that there aren't any power outages. I thank you for your prayers.
This week has been very hectic with all the preparations for the bad weather. We have a new supervisor at work, so I am still not sure how that is all going to work out.
In prayer this week, continue to pray for those affected by the bad storms in various parts of the United States. Also, continue to pray for peace in this world. Pray for peace in Syria, South Sudan and Iraq.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us all pray for those in Bangladesh and Albania. Pray that people will hear the good news about Jesus. Also, pray for Christians who are facing persecution around the world.
Last week, we began a new series of messages on the parables of Jesus. We began by examining what parables are and why Jesus used parables as one of His primary methods of communication.
Today, I want us to look at the parable of the lamp that Jesus spoke in Mark 4:21. Mark 4:21 states, "Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine."
This is a familiar verse of Scripture. But, this short parable has a light of meaning.
From our series in the Sermon on the Mount, we saw that Jesus described His followers as being the light of the world. We are to be the ones who spread the light into the dark places of this world to drive out the darkness. That's what Jesus did. He is the light of the world. He came to shine the light of His love into every place where darkness dwells. Now that Jesus has ascended into Heaven, those of us who are His followers have been given the task of being lights in a dark place. As we are empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are to let our light shine.
One of the most important ways that we let the light shine is to share the message of salvation with those who need to hear the message of the saving grace of the Lord Jesus. When we obey the Great Commission and tell other people about the love of Jesus, we are letting our light shine for all the world to see.
Another way that we let our lights shine is by doing as much good as we can in this world in order to make this world a better place. There are many people who need our help in this world. Let all of us find some way to do something good and positive to help others and to help the planet. In this way we let our light shine for all to see.
Here is the problem. Many keep their light under a bushel, and no one can see the light. Many never share their faith in Jesus with others, and many never do anything to help anybody else or try to make this world a better place. Jesus said that this is not the way that things are supposed to be. No one would do this with a lamp in the physical world, and no one should do this with the light of Christ that is to shine in them and outside of them.
I hope that in this new year that you will take the time to share your faith with others. Let the light of the love of Jesus shine out of you and drive away the darkness. Find something that you can do to help others in need and make this world a better place.
Next week, we will continue with our parables of Jesus series. I am not sure what I will be posting during the week. It will depend on the weather. Thank you for your prayers. May God be with you . Amen.
This week has been very hectic with all the preparations for the bad weather. We have a new supervisor at work, so I am still not sure how that is all going to work out.
In prayer this week, continue to pray for those affected by the bad storms in various parts of the United States. Also, continue to pray for peace in this world. Pray for peace in Syria, South Sudan and Iraq.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us all pray for those in Bangladesh and Albania. Pray that people will hear the good news about Jesus. Also, pray for Christians who are facing persecution around the world.
Last week, we began a new series of messages on the parables of Jesus. We began by examining what parables are and why Jesus used parables as one of His primary methods of communication.
Today, I want us to look at the parable of the lamp that Jesus spoke in Mark 4:21. Mark 4:21 states, "Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine."
This is a familiar verse of Scripture. But, this short parable has a light of meaning.
From our series in the Sermon on the Mount, we saw that Jesus described His followers as being the light of the world. We are to be the ones who spread the light into the dark places of this world to drive out the darkness. That's what Jesus did. He is the light of the world. He came to shine the light of His love into every place where darkness dwells. Now that Jesus has ascended into Heaven, those of us who are His followers have been given the task of being lights in a dark place. As we are empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are to let our light shine.
One of the most important ways that we let the light shine is to share the message of salvation with those who need to hear the message of the saving grace of the Lord Jesus. When we obey the Great Commission and tell other people about the love of Jesus, we are letting our light shine for all the world to see.
Another way that we let our lights shine is by doing as much good as we can in this world in order to make this world a better place. There are many people who need our help in this world. Let all of us find some way to do something good and positive to help others and to help the planet. In this way we let our light shine for all to see.
Here is the problem. Many keep their light under a bushel, and no one can see the light. Many never share their faith in Jesus with others, and many never do anything to help anybody else or try to make this world a better place. Jesus said that this is not the way that things are supposed to be. No one would do this with a lamp in the physical world, and no one should do this with the light of Christ that is to shine in them and outside of them.
I hope that in this new year that you will take the time to share your faith with others. Let the light of the love of Jesus shine out of you and drive away the darkness. Find something that you can do to help others in need and make this world a better place.
Next week, we will continue with our parables of Jesus series. I am not sure what I will be posting during the week. It will depend on the weather. Thank you for your prayers. May God be with you . Amen.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Book Review and Update -- "The Promise"
Today we have another book with a great dog character. "The Promise" by Robert Crais is a well-written novel that combines all of the author's main characters in one book. Crais is known for his Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novels. Recently, he started writing about a police canine officer and his dog Maggie. "The Promise" has all of these characters working to solve a mystery and stop potential terrorism.
One of the aspects that I liked about the book was that some portions were written from the perspective of the police dog. She is treated as a real character in the book and not just a police tool. I also liked how the book really moved along at a good pace.
I have to admit that prior to this book I'd only read one other book with Elvis Cole as the main character. I also read "Suspect" where the canine Maggie is introduced. In spite of not having read the Cole and Pike novels much, I did not find that that hindered my enjoyment of this novel. It was easy to get into and get into the action of the plot.
I would recommend this book for those who like good mystery novels and those who like good dog characters in a book.
Update -- Starting sometime on Friday, we are supposed to have a major winter storm in my area. I still hope to be able to post the sermon on Friday, but that may not happen. If you don't see a sermon posted this week, you will know why. I would ask that you please pray that this ice storm does not materialize. Nobody needs this mess. Also, please be in prayer for the people in California and Nevada who are facing such bad weather.
One of the aspects that I liked about the book was that some portions were written from the perspective of the police dog. She is treated as a real character in the book and not just a police tool. I also liked how the book really moved along at a good pace.
I have to admit that prior to this book I'd only read one other book with Elvis Cole as the main character. I also read "Suspect" where the canine Maggie is introduced. In spite of not having read the Cole and Pike novels much, I did not find that that hindered my enjoyment of this novel. It was easy to get into and get into the action of the plot.
I would recommend this book for those who like good mystery novels and those who like good dog characters in a book.
Update -- Starting sometime on Friday, we are supposed to have a major winter storm in my area. I still hope to be able to post the sermon on Friday, but that may not happen. If you don't see a sermon posted this week, you will know why. I would ask that you please pray that this ice storm does not materialize. Nobody needs this mess. Also, please be in prayer for the people in California and Nevada who are facing such bad weather.
Monday, January 9, 2017
Friday, January 6, 2017
Weekend Sermon -- Parables Of Jesus -- Introduction
I want to wish everyone a happy new year. I hope that you are all doing well in these early days of 2017.
It has been very cold here where I live. For some reason, the cold weather makes me get tired much more easily. Hopefully, it will warm up at least a little soon.
Please continue to pray for peace in this world in this new year. There is a cease fire in Syria' from what I hear in the news. Let us pray that Syria will find peace in this new year. Also, let's continue to pray for peace in Iraq, Afghanistan and South Sudan. Wherever there is war, let us pray for peace.
Let us continue to pray for those who are recovering from natural disasters. I think especially of the people in Haiti who are trying to recover from the hurricane that hit their country last year.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us all pray that the message of Jesus' love will reach the people of Cape Verde and Sri Lanka.
This week in the sermon, we will be starting a new series of messages on the parables of Jesus. It is my intention to go through and have a message on each of the parables that are found in the four Gospels. This is quite an undertaking, and it will occupy most of the sermons here on the blog in 2017. Every once in a while while we are in this parables of Jesus series, we will take a break, and I will post a sermon on a different topic. I believe that there is so much to learn from the study these parables.
There are two parables that we will not be studying. One is the sign of Jonah given by Jesus, and the other is the parable of the net. I have posted sermons on these two topics previously, and they have become the most widely read posts in this blog's history.
Today, I want to provide an introduction to the parables. What is a parable? Why did Jesus use parables? Of what do the parables consist?
First of all, what are parables? Parables are short stories that are often allegorical. They are used to teach a lesson or a spiritual truth. The word parable is from a Greek word that means to cast alongside. What that means is that parables often compare and contrast things. The person speaking a parable will often use an earthly example to illustrate a heavenly principle.
For instance, Jesus uses the image of a lost sheep to illustrate that we are sheep that have gone astray. He is the good shepherd who leaves the sheep in the fold and goes looking for the sheep that is lost.
Why did Jesus use parables to teach people? Matthew 13 gives us that most clear outline of why Jesus used parables. Jesus says in Matthew 13:11 that parables were used to relate the secrets of the kingdom of Heaven. They were used by Jesus to relate the values of God's kingdom and to relate spiritual truths.
Jesus used stories that contained characters and objects that people in his day would have readily understood and identified with. He used farming metaphors and shepherding examples that would have been familiar to His listeners. By doing this, Jesus was able to bring the teaching that He wanted to relate to their level of understanding.
However, Jesus would also make it clear that the meaning of the parables are not readily evident. The Bible often uses the phrase "he who has ears to hear let him hear". In other words, to truly understand the message of the parables, the hearer has to have a heart that truly wants to hear the message of the Lord. Then, the Holy Spirit will work in the life of a person, and that person will be able to understand the message that the parable contains. A person who is not led by the Holy Spirit will not be able to understand the message of the parables. This was by the design of God. Jesus says in Matthew 13:14 that His use of parables was a fulfillment of the prophet Isaiah when he said, "You will be ever hearing, but never understanding."
What this means is that it takes diligent spiritual study to understand all that a parable has to teach us. Not everything that a parable has to reveal is evident right on the surface. One thing that I enjoy about studying all of the Word of God is that no matter how many times you read it, you can always discover something that you didn't see before. That's the way it is with the parables that we will be studying over the course of the next few weeks.
As we will see, there are many different types of parables. Many of the parables are what Jesus calls parables about the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God. Other parables are used to show the hypocrisy of those who were the religious and political leaders of Jesus' day. Some parables teach us about eternity while others teach us about the way of salvation. All of them are filled with important truths.
One thing that I find very interesting is that Jesus' speaking in parables is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Psalm 78:2 says, "I will open my mouth with a parable, I will utter hidden things, things from of old." This is just another prophecy fulfilled by Jesus proving that He is the Messiah who was spoken of in the Old Testament. With that in mind, we can have great confidence in the teachings of Jesus.
Jesus was a master storyteller. His parables are some of the greatest stories ever told. Even those who are critics of Jesus will readily admit that Jesus' use of parables as teachings tools was extraordinary.
I am looking forward to relating to you what the Lord is showing me through these parables. I hope that you will join me in learning from these important words of Jesus.
Next week, Lord willing, we will resume our normal schedule here on the blog. I will post the verse on Monday and a review on Wednesday. The sermon next weekend will continue our parables of Jesus study. May God bless you all. Amen.
It has been very cold here where I live. For some reason, the cold weather makes me get tired much more easily. Hopefully, it will warm up at least a little soon.
Please continue to pray for peace in this world in this new year. There is a cease fire in Syria' from what I hear in the news. Let us pray that Syria will find peace in this new year. Also, let's continue to pray for peace in Iraq, Afghanistan and South Sudan. Wherever there is war, let us pray for peace.
Let us continue to pray for those who are recovering from natural disasters. I think especially of the people in Haiti who are trying to recover from the hurricane that hit their country last year.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us all pray that the message of Jesus' love will reach the people of Cape Verde and Sri Lanka.
This week in the sermon, we will be starting a new series of messages on the parables of Jesus. It is my intention to go through and have a message on each of the parables that are found in the four Gospels. This is quite an undertaking, and it will occupy most of the sermons here on the blog in 2017. Every once in a while while we are in this parables of Jesus series, we will take a break, and I will post a sermon on a different topic. I believe that there is so much to learn from the study these parables.
There are two parables that we will not be studying. One is the sign of Jonah given by Jesus, and the other is the parable of the net. I have posted sermons on these two topics previously, and they have become the most widely read posts in this blog's history.
Today, I want to provide an introduction to the parables. What is a parable? Why did Jesus use parables? Of what do the parables consist?
First of all, what are parables? Parables are short stories that are often allegorical. They are used to teach a lesson or a spiritual truth. The word parable is from a Greek word that means to cast alongside. What that means is that parables often compare and contrast things. The person speaking a parable will often use an earthly example to illustrate a heavenly principle.
For instance, Jesus uses the image of a lost sheep to illustrate that we are sheep that have gone astray. He is the good shepherd who leaves the sheep in the fold and goes looking for the sheep that is lost.
Why did Jesus use parables to teach people? Matthew 13 gives us that most clear outline of why Jesus used parables. Jesus says in Matthew 13:11 that parables were used to relate the secrets of the kingdom of Heaven. They were used by Jesus to relate the values of God's kingdom and to relate spiritual truths.
Jesus used stories that contained characters and objects that people in his day would have readily understood and identified with. He used farming metaphors and shepherding examples that would have been familiar to His listeners. By doing this, Jesus was able to bring the teaching that He wanted to relate to their level of understanding.
However, Jesus would also make it clear that the meaning of the parables are not readily evident. The Bible often uses the phrase "he who has ears to hear let him hear". In other words, to truly understand the message of the parables, the hearer has to have a heart that truly wants to hear the message of the Lord. Then, the Holy Spirit will work in the life of a person, and that person will be able to understand the message that the parable contains. A person who is not led by the Holy Spirit will not be able to understand the message of the parables. This was by the design of God. Jesus says in Matthew 13:14 that His use of parables was a fulfillment of the prophet Isaiah when he said, "You will be ever hearing, but never understanding."
What this means is that it takes diligent spiritual study to understand all that a parable has to teach us. Not everything that a parable has to reveal is evident right on the surface. One thing that I enjoy about studying all of the Word of God is that no matter how many times you read it, you can always discover something that you didn't see before. That's the way it is with the parables that we will be studying over the course of the next few weeks.
As we will see, there are many different types of parables. Many of the parables are what Jesus calls parables about the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God. Other parables are used to show the hypocrisy of those who were the religious and political leaders of Jesus' day. Some parables teach us about eternity while others teach us about the way of salvation. All of them are filled with important truths.
One thing that I find very interesting is that Jesus' speaking in parables is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Psalm 78:2 says, "I will open my mouth with a parable, I will utter hidden things, things from of old." This is just another prophecy fulfilled by Jesus proving that He is the Messiah who was spoken of in the Old Testament. With that in mind, we can have great confidence in the teachings of Jesus.
Jesus was a master storyteller. His parables are some of the greatest stories ever told. Even those who are critics of Jesus will readily admit that Jesus' use of parables as teachings tools was extraordinary.
I am looking forward to relating to you what the Lord is showing me through these parables. I hope that you will join me in learning from these important words of Jesus.
Next week, Lord willing, we will resume our normal schedule here on the blog. I will post the verse on Monday and a review on Wednesday. The sermon next weekend will continue our parables of Jesus study. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Book Review -- "Sirius"
The book that I am reviewing today is a fantastic book that I really enjoyed reading. "Sirius" by Jonathan Crown tells the story of a fox terrier named Sirius and his adventures with his family.
When the novel begins, Sirius still has his original name of Levi. He lives with a Jewish family in Berlin whose head of household is a distinguished professor. When the Nazi's come to power, life becomes more and more difficult for Levi's family. They eventually rename Levi giving him the name Sirius to keep him safe from the Nazi's.
One night, the Nazi's come to Sirius' street to take the Jewish people away to the camps. Sirius is able to warn the family, and they make it to safety. With the aid of friends, they make their way to America.
In America, Sirius meets a number of movie stars, and he even becomes a major Hollywood actor himself. Things seem to be going well until the little dog ends up back in Germany. At this point, Sirius becomes part of the German Resistance to the Third Reich.
Sirius is a brilliant dog who can learn and do just about anything. No matter what situation he finds himself in, he tries to do his best and do what is right.
This book is well-written, and if you love dogs you can't help but love Sirius. The ending is well-done. I know that this is just the first dog book review of the year here on the blog, but it's going to be hard to beat "Sirius" as my dog book of the year.
When the novel begins, Sirius still has his original name of Levi. He lives with a Jewish family in Berlin whose head of household is a distinguished professor. When the Nazi's come to power, life becomes more and more difficult for Levi's family. They eventually rename Levi giving him the name Sirius to keep him safe from the Nazi's.
One night, the Nazi's come to Sirius' street to take the Jewish people away to the camps. Sirius is able to warn the family, and they make it to safety. With the aid of friends, they make their way to America.
In America, Sirius meets a number of movie stars, and he even becomes a major Hollywood actor himself. Things seem to be going well until the little dog ends up back in Germany. At this point, Sirius becomes part of the German Resistance to the Third Reich.
Sirius is a brilliant dog who can learn and do just about anything. No matter what situation he finds himself in, he tries to do his best and do what is right.
This book is well-written, and if you love dogs you can't help but love Sirius. The ending is well-done. I know that this is just the first dog book review of the year here on the blog, but it's going to be hard to beat "Sirius" as my dog book of the year.
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Verse for the Week
John 10:11 -- " I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
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