As you know if you've been reading the blog, my area has had many storms and flooding during the spring and summer. Tomorrow, more storms are predicted with more heavy rainfall. Would you please pray that the storms will not be bad? We don't need any heavy rain.
Also, I was very excited when I received the new writing job, but it is not amounting to much work. Would you please pray that I can find some additional work? This has become a very discouraging part of my life. I've had a lot of trouble with depression and anxiety since I was a teenager. It is very, very difficult for me to work in customer service type jobs, although I've done them in the past, but without that much success. One of the reasons I left the old job was bad anxiety at work. There are a lot of warehouse type jobs near me, but it is difficult for me to keep up the pace they want because I have asthma real bad, and when I can't keep up, they don't want me around. Writing has allowed me in the past to make some money and not have to deal with as much anxiety. I'm certainly open to anything I am able to do, and I am hoping that more writing opportunities will open up.
I am grateful to the Lord that I've had the opportunity to be involved in quite a bit of ministry work over the last few weeks. Please pray that more and more opportunities will arise in this area. This is not something I do for money. That is why I will never sell something or ask for any money on the blog. I try to tell people about Jesus because I believe that is what He called me to do. Animals, especially dogs and cats have always been my friends, so I like to write about them on the blog too.
Thank you for your prayers. I hope to have a review tomorrow on the blog.
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Monday, August 14, 2017
Verses For the Week
Galatians 3:28 -- "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus"
Malachi 2:10 -- "Do we all not have one father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers?"
I Corinthians 10:24 -- "Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor."
Sunday, August 13, 2017
Thoughts on Charlottesville, VA
I want to state that the racism, antisemitism and hate expressed by the white supremacists in Charlottesville, VA is evil and has no place in civilized society. No one who claims to be a true follower of Jesus Christ can have any association with hatred, racism, antisemitism and violence.
It is time for all Christian leaders in this country to speak out against hatred and discrimination against others. We are called by Jesus to love others and to spread the message of Jesus' love to all people.
I want to express my condolences to the family and friends of Heather Heyer who was killed in an act of terrorism last night.
Friday, August 11, 2017
Weekend Sermon -- Matthew 12:43-45
Welcome to this edition of the Weekend Sermon. I hope that everyone had had a very good week. I am always glad to be able to post the sermon each week.
This week I have some good news to report. I just heard this morning that I got a writing job that I applied for. This is a real answer to prayer. I am also thankful that the storms and heavy rain we were supposed to get passed by, and no area around me received much rain. Thank you all for your prayers.
In other matters, I would ask you all to pray for those in New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana who are dealing with flooding. Also pray for those in Montana dealing with the forest fires and those in the Tulsa area dealing with the tornado damage.
Please remember to pray for peace in the world. There is a lot of overly provocative talk going on right now between the US and North Korea. Please pray that everyone will remain calm and that there will not be a conflict in this situation. Also, please continue to pray for peace in Syria and Iraq.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for the nations of Liberia and Israel. Pray that many in these two nations will hear the message of Jesus' love and forgiveness.
These last few months, we've spent most of our Weekend Sermons dealing with the parables of Jesus. Today, we will continue with our study and examine what I believe is a very strange parable. It gives me the chills a little.
In Matthew 12, the Pharisees had requested a sign from Jesus that He was truly the Messiah. Jesus said to them that no sign would be given to them except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Jesus said that the people of Nineveh would rise up and condemn this generation because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah was with them. The Queen of Sheba would speak judgment because she traveled far to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and now one greater than Solomon was in there midst.
After saying these words, Jesus told a parable about demons. Jesus said that when an unclean spirit goes out of a person it travels through watery places looking for a resting place. If it doesn't find one, it will return to the person from which it came. Finding the the place empty and in order, it brings along seven more spirits that are even more evil. The person is now worse off than ever. Jesus said that that was the circumstance of the current evil generation that He was speaking to.
So, what do we make of this parable. First, of all I think that Jesus is speaking symbolically here. I don't think that He meant this parable to be dissected as to how demons operate in the world. I do believe that there are evil spirits that can take possession of people. I believe this because Jesus said that it was so, and we see it in the Gospels.
Some Bible scholars believe that all of the accounts of evil spirits in the Bible are people suffering from mental illnesses that people did not understand in that day. I think that there may be some truth in that, but I certainly think that evil spirits exist.
The Bible is quite clear that a Christian has the Holy Spirit residing in him or her. The Spirit that is in us is greater than the evil spirits in this world. A true believer in Jesus does not need to worry about an evil spirit taking control of them.
I believe that there is a meaning to this parable that was specific to the time in which Jesus told it, and I think that there are some applications that we can draw from it today.
Jesus came to His generation and preached the message of love and forgiveness. Many people responded to Him initially, but most people of Jesus' generation did not acknowledge Him to be the Messiah. Because they did not do that, they were actually worse off than if Jesus had never preached to them at all. He gave them the chance to turn around and follow Him. Unlike the people of Nineveh who repented in Jonah's day, the people by and large did not listen to Jesus. Because they heard the message of Jesus and did not respond, they were without excuse, and that is a terrible position to find oneself in.
Now, what application can we draw from this. I believe that we can learn a lesson from this parable about what it means to recover and truly turn around from a bad situation. Let me explain.
I know of many people who tried to recover from various forms of addiction whether it be alcohol or drug addiction. They will get sober, and that is wonderful. However, it won't be long before they are back on drugs or alcohol, and they seem worse off than they ever were. Why?
Many get back into these bad situations because they have treated the symptom of the problem and not the problem itself. There is some underlying issue that leads to people finding solace in various substances. If this is not addressed, a person will never have true victory.
As a believer, I know that Jesus is the one who can bring true deliverance to people. He can change people and provide them with hope and love.
Also, when people leave a bad habit or when they want to turn from doing something that is wrong, it is essential that they find something to replace that thing they are turning from. Instead of being involved in what is wrong and harmful, they need to fill up their time with doing something good and positive that helps other people. If a person does not find something positive and good to replace a bad behavior, often they will fall back into the old pattern again and again.
There is just one other thing that I wanted to add in regard to this parable. It is not really directly related, but it is in a way. Some people preach all the time about a spirit of this or that causing people to act a certain way. They then try to rebuke this or that spirit.
Really, I believe that most people don't have spirits controlling them causing them to act in certain bad ways. People can come up with bad behaviors and do evil things on their own without any help. People need to take responsibility for their own actions and find help for their problems.
Many people do have mental health issues that need to be addressed. There are doctors and counselors that can help with this. It does take effort to overcome many times, and it can be a long hard road. I know this from personal experience.
Here is one thing I know in my life. You can always call on Jesus to help you in any situation. He will always be with you, and He will help you to make it through. Whatever situation you find yourself in in life, I urge you to reach out to Jesus for hope and healing.
Next week, we will continue with our parables of Jesus series. We don't have too many more weeks to go. On Monday, I will post the verses, and I will have a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
This week I have some good news to report. I just heard this morning that I got a writing job that I applied for. This is a real answer to prayer. I am also thankful that the storms and heavy rain we were supposed to get passed by, and no area around me received much rain. Thank you all for your prayers.
In other matters, I would ask you all to pray for those in New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana who are dealing with flooding. Also pray for those in Montana dealing with the forest fires and those in the Tulsa area dealing with the tornado damage.
Please remember to pray for peace in the world. There is a lot of overly provocative talk going on right now between the US and North Korea. Please pray that everyone will remain calm and that there will not be a conflict in this situation. Also, please continue to pray for peace in Syria and Iraq.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for the nations of Liberia and Israel. Pray that many in these two nations will hear the message of Jesus' love and forgiveness.
These last few months, we've spent most of our Weekend Sermons dealing with the parables of Jesus. Today, we will continue with our study and examine what I believe is a very strange parable. It gives me the chills a little.
In Matthew 12, the Pharisees had requested a sign from Jesus that He was truly the Messiah. Jesus said to them that no sign would be given to them except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Jesus said that the people of Nineveh would rise up and condemn this generation because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah was with them. The Queen of Sheba would speak judgment because she traveled far to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and now one greater than Solomon was in there midst.
After saying these words, Jesus told a parable about demons. Jesus said that when an unclean spirit goes out of a person it travels through watery places looking for a resting place. If it doesn't find one, it will return to the person from which it came. Finding the the place empty and in order, it brings along seven more spirits that are even more evil. The person is now worse off than ever. Jesus said that that was the circumstance of the current evil generation that He was speaking to.
So, what do we make of this parable. First, of all I think that Jesus is speaking symbolically here. I don't think that He meant this parable to be dissected as to how demons operate in the world. I do believe that there are evil spirits that can take possession of people. I believe this because Jesus said that it was so, and we see it in the Gospels.
Some Bible scholars believe that all of the accounts of evil spirits in the Bible are people suffering from mental illnesses that people did not understand in that day. I think that there may be some truth in that, but I certainly think that evil spirits exist.
The Bible is quite clear that a Christian has the Holy Spirit residing in him or her. The Spirit that is in us is greater than the evil spirits in this world. A true believer in Jesus does not need to worry about an evil spirit taking control of them.
I believe that there is a meaning to this parable that was specific to the time in which Jesus told it, and I think that there are some applications that we can draw from it today.
Jesus came to His generation and preached the message of love and forgiveness. Many people responded to Him initially, but most people of Jesus' generation did not acknowledge Him to be the Messiah. Because they did not do that, they were actually worse off than if Jesus had never preached to them at all. He gave them the chance to turn around and follow Him. Unlike the people of Nineveh who repented in Jonah's day, the people by and large did not listen to Jesus. Because they heard the message of Jesus and did not respond, they were without excuse, and that is a terrible position to find oneself in.
Now, what application can we draw from this. I believe that we can learn a lesson from this parable about what it means to recover and truly turn around from a bad situation. Let me explain.
I know of many people who tried to recover from various forms of addiction whether it be alcohol or drug addiction. They will get sober, and that is wonderful. However, it won't be long before they are back on drugs or alcohol, and they seem worse off than they ever were. Why?
Many get back into these bad situations because they have treated the symptom of the problem and not the problem itself. There is some underlying issue that leads to people finding solace in various substances. If this is not addressed, a person will never have true victory.
As a believer, I know that Jesus is the one who can bring true deliverance to people. He can change people and provide them with hope and love.
Also, when people leave a bad habit or when they want to turn from doing something that is wrong, it is essential that they find something to replace that thing they are turning from. Instead of being involved in what is wrong and harmful, they need to fill up their time with doing something good and positive that helps other people. If a person does not find something positive and good to replace a bad behavior, often they will fall back into the old pattern again and again.
There is just one other thing that I wanted to add in regard to this parable. It is not really directly related, but it is in a way. Some people preach all the time about a spirit of this or that causing people to act a certain way. They then try to rebuke this or that spirit.
Really, I believe that most people don't have spirits controlling them causing them to act in certain bad ways. People can come up with bad behaviors and do evil things on their own without any help. People need to take responsibility for their own actions and find help for their problems.
Many people do have mental health issues that need to be addressed. There are doctors and counselors that can help with this. It does take effort to overcome many times, and it can be a long hard road. I know this from personal experience.
Here is one thing I know in my life. You can always call on Jesus to help you in any situation. He will always be with you, and He will help you to make it through. Whatever situation you find yourself in in life, I urge you to reach out to Jesus for hope and healing.
Next week, we will continue with our parables of Jesus series. We don't have too many more weeks to go. On Monday, I will post the verses, and I will have a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Book Review -- Two Books About Animal Rights
Today I would like to discuss a couple of books that I've read recently that discuss the concept of animal rights. If you've read this blog for any amount of time, I am sure that you are aware that I love animals, dogs in particular, and I am wholeheartedly committed to protecting wildlife and the environment.
In reading some other texts on animal issues, I kept seeing reference made to two books, so I decided to obtain them through inter library loan and read them. The first book is "The Moral Status of Animals" written by Stephen R.L. Clark. This is a philosophical work, and some may find it difficult to read. What I liked best about this work, is that Professor Clark outlines many of the objections that people raise regarding the rights of animals, and then he explains why he believes that these arguments do not stand up to scrutiny.
The second book is "Bless the Beasts: A Spirituality of Animal Care" written by Jeffrey Sobosan who was a professor of theology. The author argues that Christians should care about animals. He suggests that Christian theology has incorporated too many ideas from Greek philosophy that set man against nature.
I found both of these books to be very interesting and well worth reading. You may not agree with all of the ideas and arguments expressed by the authors, but their ideas are certainly worth studying. Both of these books are out-of-print, so look for them online or at your local library.
In reading some other texts on animal issues, I kept seeing reference made to two books, so I decided to obtain them through inter library loan and read them. The first book is "The Moral Status of Animals" written by Stephen R.L. Clark. This is a philosophical work, and some may find it difficult to read. What I liked best about this work, is that Professor Clark outlines many of the objections that people raise regarding the rights of animals, and then he explains why he believes that these arguments do not stand up to scrutiny.
The second book is "Bless the Beasts: A Spirituality of Animal Care" written by Jeffrey Sobosan who was a professor of theology. The author argues that Christians should care about animals. He suggests that Christian theology has incorporated too many ideas from Greek philosophy that set man against nature.
I found both of these books to be very interesting and well worth reading. You may not agree with all of the ideas and arguments expressed by the authors, but their ideas are certainly worth studying. Both of these books are out-of-print, so look for them online or at your local library.
Monday, August 7, 2017
Verses For the Week -- Verses About Animals
Proverbs 12:10 -- "A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal, but even the compassion of the wicked is cruel."
Proverbs 27:23 -- "Know well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds."
Psalm 50:10-11 -- "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird on the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is mine."
Isaiah 43:20 -- "The beasts of the fields will honor Me, the jackals and ostriches, because I give water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."
Tobit 6:1-2 -- "The young man went out, and the angel went with him; and the dog came out with him and went along with them."
Proverbs 27:23 -- "Know well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds."
Psalm 50:10-11 -- "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird on the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is mine."
Isaiah 43:20 -- "The beasts of the fields will honor Me, the jackals and ostriches, because I give water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."
Tobit 6:1-2 -- "The young man went out, and the angel went with him; and the dog came out with him and went along with them."
Friday, August 4, 2017
Weekend Sermon -- The Parable of the Two Debtors
Thank you for taking the time to read the Weekend Sermon this week. I am glad to be able to be with you and post the sermon. I hope and pray that all of you are doing well.
I have been working on writing this week and doing some ministry work. I've been very busy with work, and I also went to the dentist. Everything went well at the dentist, and I am thankful for your prayers regarding this.
I would like to ask for your prayers regarding a couple of things. My area of the country has experienced a lot of heavy rain and flooding this summer. So far, my garage has only had a little bit of water get into it once. Others in the area have had real devastating damage. Tomorrow, the forecast is for more heavy rain and flooding. Please pray that the rains are not heavy and that there is no flooding. Also, I've been feeling down lately, and I would ask for your prayers regarding this as well. Thank you for your prayers. I pray for everyone who reads the blog every day.
In other areas of prayer, please be in prayer regarding the forest fires in Montana. There has already been loss of life in these fires. Pray that they will be brought under control soon.
Let us also pray for those in Yemen who are suffering with cholera. Pray that the medicine that they need will reach them soon.
Please continue to pray for peace in the world. Pray especially for Syria, Iraq and South Sudan.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for Mongolia and Oman. Pray that many in these two nations will hear about the love of Jesus.
For most of this year, we've been studying the parables of Jesus here on the Weekend Sermon. We don't have too many more parables to study. Lord willing, we will wrap this study up in the next couple of months I think.
Today, we will turn our attention to what is know as the parable of the two debtors. This parable and the circumstances surrounding its telling are found in Luke 7:36-50.
Jesus had been invited to a dinner at the house of Simon the Pharisee. While Jesus was reclining at the dinner table, a woman came into the dining area. She took an alabaster jar of ointment and anointed Jesus' feet. She was weeping and wiping Jesus' feet with her hair.
When the Simon saw this, he was offended. He figured that if Jesus was really a prophet, He would know what a sinful woman this was, and Jesus would not allow her to touch Him.
Knowing Simon's thoughts, Jesus told the parable of the two debtors. Jesus said that a certain man had two people that owed him money. One owed 500 denarii, and the other owed 50 denarii. The creditor cancelled both debts.
Jesus asked Simon who he thought would love the creditor more. Simon responded that it would be the one who was forgiven more. Jesus said that that was right.
Jesus told Simon that Simon had not done Him the basic courtesy of even offering Him water to wash His feet, yet this woman had wet Jesus' feet with her tears.
Jesus said that though her sins were many, they were forgiven. Jesus said that she had shown great love. He also said that the one who is forgiven little loves little.
I think that this is an interesting story and an interesting parable. For one thing, we don't know who this woman was. Also, we have to assume that she had had an encounter with Jesus beforehand that is not recorded in the Bible. Was she healed of a sickness? Was she delivered from an evil spirit? It is just my opinion that Jesus had treated her with respect and dignity. When she saw Jesus love and compassion, she responded as in the story. Because of her great love, she was forgiven.
Another thing that I find interesting in this story is the parable itself. I think that it has a general application, but I am not sure that Jesus meant that this was always the case. I think it is relative insomuch as one perceives they need forgiveness. Some people aren't great sinners so to speak. However, they realize their need for a Savior and turn to Jesus. They are grateful for what Jesus has done for them. With their hearts full of love, they serve Jesus fully.
Others have been forgiven from a huge weight of sin. However, they don't always respond by much outward demonstration of their love for the Lord.
I think what Jesus was saying in this parable is that as a general rule, those who are forgiven much love more. It is something interesting to think about.
Now, I think that their are at least two important lessons that we can learn from this parable. First of all, we don't want to be like Simon. He had no real respect for Jesus, and he did not even offer Jesus the basic hospitality of the day. Simon was also very judgmental. He thought that he was better than the woman who came to see Jesus. He felt he had little to be forgiven of and loved little.
Sometimes, those of us who have been Christians for many years can get a sense of superiority. We can become Pharisaical. We want to be people who loved like Jesus loved, we don't want to be like the Pharisees.
Jesus loves everyone. He has His arms of love open wide to embrace all those who will come to Him. Whoever comes to Him, He will not cast them out.
The second lesson from this story for us is that we need to demonstrate by what we do how much we love Jesus. The woman in this story showed her love in a tangible way. That is what we need to do. There are so many ways that we can show our love for Jesus. One way is to spend time with Him through prayer and meditation. Another way is to obey His commands and teachings.
By loving those who Jesus loved, we show our love for Jesus. Jesus said that when we do something good for the least among us, we have done it as unto Him. There are many needs in this world. There are many people who need for us to reach out in love to them. Let us imitate the Lord Jesus and be people who love.
Next week, we will be back to our regular schedule on the blog. On Monday, I will post the verses. I will have a review on Wednesday, and we will continue with our parable of Jesus series on Friday. May God bless you all. Amen.
I have been working on writing this week and doing some ministry work. I've been very busy with work, and I also went to the dentist. Everything went well at the dentist, and I am thankful for your prayers regarding this.
I would like to ask for your prayers regarding a couple of things. My area of the country has experienced a lot of heavy rain and flooding this summer. So far, my garage has only had a little bit of water get into it once. Others in the area have had real devastating damage. Tomorrow, the forecast is for more heavy rain and flooding. Please pray that the rains are not heavy and that there is no flooding. Also, I've been feeling down lately, and I would ask for your prayers regarding this as well. Thank you for your prayers. I pray for everyone who reads the blog every day.
In other areas of prayer, please be in prayer regarding the forest fires in Montana. There has already been loss of life in these fires. Pray that they will be brought under control soon.
Let us also pray for those in Yemen who are suffering with cholera. Pray that the medicine that they need will reach them soon.
Please continue to pray for peace in the world. Pray especially for Syria, Iraq and South Sudan.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for Mongolia and Oman. Pray that many in these two nations will hear about the love of Jesus.
For most of this year, we've been studying the parables of Jesus here on the Weekend Sermon. We don't have too many more parables to study. Lord willing, we will wrap this study up in the next couple of months I think.
Today, we will turn our attention to what is know as the parable of the two debtors. This parable and the circumstances surrounding its telling are found in Luke 7:36-50.
Jesus had been invited to a dinner at the house of Simon the Pharisee. While Jesus was reclining at the dinner table, a woman came into the dining area. She took an alabaster jar of ointment and anointed Jesus' feet. She was weeping and wiping Jesus' feet with her hair.
When the Simon saw this, he was offended. He figured that if Jesus was really a prophet, He would know what a sinful woman this was, and Jesus would not allow her to touch Him.
Knowing Simon's thoughts, Jesus told the parable of the two debtors. Jesus said that a certain man had two people that owed him money. One owed 500 denarii, and the other owed 50 denarii. The creditor cancelled both debts.
Jesus asked Simon who he thought would love the creditor more. Simon responded that it would be the one who was forgiven more. Jesus said that that was right.
Jesus told Simon that Simon had not done Him the basic courtesy of even offering Him water to wash His feet, yet this woman had wet Jesus' feet with her tears.
Jesus said that though her sins were many, they were forgiven. Jesus said that she had shown great love. He also said that the one who is forgiven little loves little.
I think that this is an interesting story and an interesting parable. For one thing, we don't know who this woman was. Also, we have to assume that she had had an encounter with Jesus beforehand that is not recorded in the Bible. Was she healed of a sickness? Was she delivered from an evil spirit? It is just my opinion that Jesus had treated her with respect and dignity. When she saw Jesus love and compassion, she responded as in the story. Because of her great love, she was forgiven.
Another thing that I find interesting in this story is the parable itself. I think that it has a general application, but I am not sure that Jesus meant that this was always the case. I think it is relative insomuch as one perceives they need forgiveness. Some people aren't great sinners so to speak. However, they realize their need for a Savior and turn to Jesus. They are grateful for what Jesus has done for them. With their hearts full of love, they serve Jesus fully.
Others have been forgiven from a huge weight of sin. However, they don't always respond by much outward demonstration of their love for the Lord.
I think what Jesus was saying in this parable is that as a general rule, those who are forgiven much love more. It is something interesting to think about.
Now, I think that their are at least two important lessons that we can learn from this parable. First of all, we don't want to be like Simon. He had no real respect for Jesus, and he did not even offer Jesus the basic hospitality of the day. Simon was also very judgmental. He thought that he was better than the woman who came to see Jesus. He felt he had little to be forgiven of and loved little.
Sometimes, those of us who have been Christians for many years can get a sense of superiority. We can become Pharisaical. We want to be people who loved like Jesus loved, we don't want to be like the Pharisees.
Jesus loves everyone. He has His arms of love open wide to embrace all those who will come to Him. Whoever comes to Him, He will not cast them out.
The second lesson from this story for us is that we need to demonstrate by what we do how much we love Jesus. The woman in this story showed her love in a tangible way. That is what we need to do. There are so many ways that we can show our love for Jesus. One way is to spend time with Him through prayer and meditation. Another way is to obey His commands and teachings.
By loving those who Jesus loved, we show our love for Jesus. Jesus said that when we do something good for the least among us, we have done it as unto Him. There are many needs in this world. There are many people who need for us to reach out in love to them. Let us imitate the Lord Jesus and be people who love.
Next week, we will be back to our regular schedule on the blog. On Monday, I will post the verses. I will have a review on Wednesday, and we will continue with our parable of Jesus series on Friday. May God bless you all. Amen.
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