Lamentations 3:22-23 -- "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness."
I Peter 5:7 -- " Casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you."
Monday, May 13, 2019
Saturday, May 11, 2019
Weekend Sermon -- Luke 13:23-27
Welcome to this edition of the Weekend Sermon. Thank you for reading the sermon this week. I hope that everyone is having a good week.
This has been a hard week. I started my new job. It is going pretty well, but it isn't quite what I thought it would be. Right now, I am just praying that I get paid on time like I am supposed to. Please pray that all will go well. This week has also been hard because I miss my two friends. One of my friends had a birthday this week. He would have been 53, but he died when he was 49. We knew each other since I was seven years old. This week was also my friend Toby's birthday, and I've been missing him even more than usual lately.
In prayer this week, please continue to pray that those who were injured in Sri Lanka and New Zealand will continue to recover. Pray for an end to terrorism around the world.
Please pray for those in Mozambique who are recovering from the storm damage. Many still need a lot of aid and assistance.
We need to continue to pray for peace in many troubled areas in this world. Please pray for peace in Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and Libya.
For our prayer focus countries this week, please pray for those who live in the nation of Morocco and India. Pray that many will come to know of the love and mercy of the Lord Jesus.
For today's message, I want to focus on a passage in the book of Luke chapter 13 verses 23-27. This passage begins when someone asks Jesus if only a few people will be saved. Jesus does not directly answer the question. He says, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able."
What does this statement by Jesus mean? What relevance does it have for us today?
First of all, Jesus was speaking in the direct context of the time in which He was on the earth. Later in the passage, Jesus says that people will say that they ate and drank in His presence. However, Jesus says that He will tell them that He doesn't know who they are.This is a direct reference to the religious leaders of Jesus day. They thought that they were on the right path, but Jesus knew that they were hypocrites. They had the appearance of godliness. But Jesus said that they were like whitewashed graves. They looked good on the outside, but on the inside, they were full of dead men's bones.
Jesus' statement about entering the narrow gate has broader implications than this. I believe that what Jesus is saying is that He is the narrow gate. In John 10:7, Jesus says that He is the door of the sheep. He is the way. In John 14:6, Jesus says, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
The Bible is quite clear that salvation is only possible through Jesus. Some will teach that everyone will be saved regardless of whether or not they have placed their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. This simply is not the teaching of the Word of God.
Let me provide a few Bible passages as evidence of my point. First of all, let's look at the words of Jesus Himself. In John 3:36 Jesus says, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life: whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." In John 8:24 Jesus says,
I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins." Lets look at one more. Jesus says in John 5:23 "... Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him."
Now. let's see what some other passages of Scripture have to say. In Acts 4:12, the apostle Peter said, "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Paul says in I Timothy 1:5, "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
The words of Jesus and the words of the rest of Scripture are quite clear that Jesus is the only way of salvation. Only through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus can a person inherit eternal life.
Many people that I know believe that they can achieve reconciliation with God by means of good works. However, the Bible is clear on this as well. Being good does constitute entering the narrow gate. Ephesians 2:8-9 make it clear by stating, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast."
I started posting sermons on the blog several years ago because I wanted people to know about the love and mercy of Jesus. I wanted to let people know that Jesus loves them and wants them to come to Him. Jesus is the only way of salvation, and I invite you to come to know Him today.
Next week, I will be posting the sermon on Saturday. I will post the verses of the week on Monday. I will post a cat book review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
This has been a hard week. I started my new job. It is going pretty well, but it isn't quite what I thought it would be. Right now, I am just praying that I get paid on time like I am supposed to. Please pray that all will go well. This week has also been hard because I miss my two friends. One of my friends had a birthday this week. He would have been 53, but he died when he was 49. We knew each other since I was seven years old. This week was also my friend Toby's birthday, and I've been missing him even more than usual lately.
In prayer this week, please continue to pray that those who were injured in Sri Lanka and New Zealand will continue to recover. Pray for an end to terrorism around the world.
Please pray for those in Mozambique who are recovering from the storm damage. Many still need a lot of aid and assistance.
We need to continue to pray for peace in many troubled areas in this world. Please pray for peace in Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and Libya.
For our prayer focus countries this week, please pray for those who live in the nation of Morocco and India. Pray that many will come to know of the love and mercy of the Lord Jesus.
For today's message, I want to focus on a passage in the book of Luke chapter 13 verses 23-27. This passage begins when someone asks Jesus if only a few people will be saved. Jesus does not directly answer the question. He says, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able."
What does this statement by Jesus mean? What relevance does it have for us today?
First of all, Jesus was speaking in the direct context of the time in which He was on the earth. Later in the passage, Jesus says that people will say that they ate and drank in His presence. However, Jesus says that He will tell them that He doesn't know who they are.This is a direct reference to the religious leaders of Jesus day. They thought that they were on the right path, but Jesus knew that they were hypocrites. They had the appearance of godliness. But Jesus said that they were like whitewashed graves. They looked good on the outside, but on the inside, they were full of dead men's bones.
Jesus' statement about entering the narrow gate has broader implications than this. I believe that what Jesus is saying is that He is the narrow gate. In John 10:7, Jesus says that He is the door of the sheep. He is the way. In John 14:6, Jesus says, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
The Bible is quite clear that salvation is only possible through Jesus. Some will teach that everyone will be saved regardless of whether or not they have placed their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. This simply is not the teaching of the Word of God.
Let me provide a few Bible passages as evidence of my point. First of all, let's look at the words of Jesus Himself. In John 3:36 Jesus says, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life: whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." In John 8:24 Jesus says,
I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins." Lets look at one more. Jesus says in John 5:23 "... Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him."
Now. let's see what some other passages of Scripture have to say. In Acts 4:12, the apostle Peter said, "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Paul says in I Timothy 1:5, "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
The words of Jesus and the words of the rest of Scripture are quite clear that Jesus is the only way of salvation. Only through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus can a person inherit eternal life.
Many people that I know believe that they can achieve reconciliation with God by means of good works. However, the Bible is clear on this as well. Being good does constitute entering the narrow gate. Ephesians 2:8-9 make it clear by stating, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast."
I started posting sermons on the blog several years ago because I wanted people to know about the love and mercy of Jesus. I wanted to let people know that Jesus loves them and wants them to come to Him. Jesus is the only way of salvation, and I invite you to come to know Him today.
Next week, I will be posting the sermon on Saturday. I will post the verses of the week on Monday. I will post a cat book review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
A Great Day -- Happy Birthday Toby
Today is my friend Toby's birthday. I miss him, and I hope that it won't be too long before we are together again. We had many wonderful times together, and we went on some nice trips. I posted my book about Toby here on the blog. I have always said that Toby was the dog that Jesus gave me to be my friend. Happy Birthday, Toby.
Monday, May 6, 2019
Verses For The Week
Isaiah 40:31 -- "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Philippians 1:6 -- "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
Philippians 1:6 -- "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
Sunday, May 5, 2019
Prayer Request
Please pray that the heavy rains predicted in my area will not materialize this week. Flooding is a big concern. Please pray that all will go well in my new job. Thank you.
Friday, May 3, 2019
Weekend Sermon -- John 20:19-23
Thanks be to God, it is time for another Weekend Sermon. I am always thankful to have the opportunity to post these sermons. I hope that you all have had a good week.
This has been a hard week. The rains have been very heavy. I did get some water in my garage, but is wasn't as bad as it could have been. Thank you for your prayers. There is more rain expected today and next week, so please continue to pray that no more flooding will occur. Please also pray that all will go well at the job I am starting on Monday.
In other prayer matters, please continue to pray for those who were injured in the incidents in Sri Lanka and in New Zealand. Pray that those injured will recover quickly.
Continue to pray for the people in Mozambique who have had to deal with two bad storms. Pray that the people will receive the aid that they need.
Pray for those in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands who are still recovering from the hurricanes. Many still need a lot of assistance.
Pray that the Ebola virus outbreak in Congo will come to an end. There are many who are still sick.
Many places in the world need our prayers for peace. Please pray for peace in Libya, Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen.
For our prayer focus countries this week, please pray for those who live in the nations of Senegal and Thailand. Pray that many will come to hear about the love of Jesus.
Today, I want us to focus on another of the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. After Jesus arose from the tomb on Easter Sunday, He was on the earth for a period of forty days. During that time, He appeared to His disciples and others.
John chapter 20 verses 19-23 records one of the first post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. As this passage of Scripture begins, we find ten of the eleven remaining disciples together. They were hiding because they feared that the religious leaders would try to kill them just as they had killed Jesus. For some reason, Thomas was not with the others at this time.
Suddenly, Jesus appeared before the ten disciples and said, "Peace be with you." Jesus then showed them His hands and his side. His hands had been nailed to the cross and His side had been pierced with the spear. The disciples recognized that this was Jesus risen from the dead.
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." Jesus then breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."
Jesus went on to tell the disciples that if they would forgive someone's sins, the sins would be forgiven. If the disciples did not forgive them, they would not be forgiven."
Today, I would like to examine what we can learn and apply to our lives from this post-resurrection appearance of the Lord Jesus.
Twice during this appearance, Jesus gave the disciples a word of peace. The resurrected Lord Jesus can be the only source of real peace in our lives.
We live in a troubled world. There are natural disasters, and there are terrible evil acts that people commit against one another. Many of us are faced with financial hardships, burdens and problems of all sorts. It's hard to make it in life sometimes. Sometimes, it feels as if all of the problems will be overwhelming.
In the midst of all the problems that we face in this life, Jesus is our peace. We can know true peace, because we know that Jesus is alive. We do not have to fear what can happen to us in this life because we know that Jesus is the resurrection and life. If we have placed our faith and trust in Him, we can have the peace in our hearts that comes from knowing that Jesus will take us to be with Him in Heaven when we pass away. All will be well no matter what happens because Jesus will take care of us. He will let us live with Him forever in the place that He has prepared for those who love Him.
In this passage, Jesus sent out His disciples into the world just as He had been sent by the Father. Jesus came into this world in order to show us that God loves us and cares about us. We are to go into the world and proclaim that love of Jesus to the world.
There are many people in this world that don't realize how much Jesus loves them. They don't understand how special and important that they are to God. We must tell the world that God sent His Son out of love so that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.
All of us have been given the task of telling others that Jesus died and He is risen. We have the greatest message to tell, and we need to be about telling it.
Jesus also breathed on the disciples and told them to receive the Holy Spirit. We can only tell others about Jesus as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that allows us to be able to tell others that Jesus is alive and wants to save them from their sins.
Finally, Jesus talks to His disciples about forgiveness. Forgiveness was one of the most important messages that Jesus talked about while He was on earth. He said that if we don't forgive other people's sins, our sins would not be forgiven. In one passage in the Bible, Peter asks Jesus if he should forgive others up to seven times. Jesus said that Peter should not forgive just seven times. Peter was instructed to forgive seventy times seven times.
We know that the message of forgiveness was important to Jesus because of what Jesus did on the cross. Jesus asked the Father to forgive those who were crucifying Him. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
We have been forgiven a great debt of sin through what Jesus had done for us. Therefore, we need to forgive those who have sinned against us.
Next week, the sermon will be posted on Saturday. I will post another message about the Lord Jesus. On Monday, I will post the verses. I will post a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
This has been a hard week. The rains have been very heavy. I did get some water in my garage, but is wasn't as bad as it could have been. Thank you for your prayers. There is more rain expected today and next week, so please continue to pray that no more flooding will occur. Please also pray that all will go well at the job I am starting on Monday.
In other prayer matters, please continue to pray for those who were injured in the incidents in Sri Lanka and in New Zealand. Pray that those injured will recover quickly.
Continue to pray for the people in Mozambique who have had to deal with two bad storms. Pray that the people will receive the aid that they need.
Pray for those in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands who are still recovering from the hurricanes. Many still need a lot of assistance.
Pray that the Ebola virus outbreak in Congo will come to an end. There are many who are still sick.
Many places in the world need our prayers for peace. Please pray for peace in Libya, Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen.
For our prayer focus countries this week, please pray for those who live in the nations of Senegal and Thailand. Pray that many will come to hear about the love of Jesus.
Today, I want us to focus on another of the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. After Jesus arose from the tomb on Easter Sunday, He was on the earth for a period of forty days. During that time, He appeared to His disciples and others.
John chapter 20 verses 19-23 records one of the first post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. As this passage of Scripture begins, we find ten of the eleven remaining disciples together. They were hiding because they feared that the religious leaders would try to kill them just as they had killed Jesus. For some reason, Thomas was not with the others at this time.
Suddenly, Jesus appeared before the ten disciples and said, "Peace be with you." Jesus then showed them His hands and his side. His hands had been nailed to the cross and His side had been pierced with the spear. The disciples recognized that this was Jesus risen from the dead.
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." Jesus then breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."
Jesus went on to tell the disciples that if they would forgive someone's sins, the sins would be forgiven. If the disciples did not forgive them, they would not be forgiven."
Today, I would like to examine what we can learn and apply to our lives from this post-resurrection appearance of the Lord Jesus.
Twice during this appearance, Jesus gave the disciples a word of peace. The resurrected Lord Jesus can be the only source of real peace in our lives.
We live in a troubled world. There are natural disasters, and there are terrible evil acts that people commit against one another. Many of us are faced with financial hardships, burdens and problems of all sorts. It's hard to make it in life sometimes. Sometimes, it feels as if all of the problems will be overwhelming.
In the midst of all the problems that we face in this life, Jesus is our peace. We can know true peace, because we know that Jesus is alive. We do not have to fear what can happen to us in this life because we know that Jesus is the resurrection and life. If we have placed our faith and trust in Him, we can have the peace in our hearts that comes from knowing that Jesus will take us to be with Him in Heaven when we pass away. All will be well no matter what happens because Jesus will take care of us. He will let us live with Him forever in the place that He has prepared for those who love Him.
In this passage, Jesus sent out His disciples into the world just as He had been sent by the Father. Jesus came into this world in order to show us that God loves us and cares about us. We are to go into the world and proclaim that love of Jesus to the world.
There are many people in this world that don't realize how much Jesus loves them. They don't understand how special and important that they are to God. We must tell the world that God sent His Son out of love so that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.
All of us have been given the task of telling others that Jesus died and He is risen. We have the greatest message to tell, and we need to be about telling it.
Jesus also breathed on the disciples and told them to receive the Holy Spirit. We can only tell others about Jesus as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that allows us to be able to tell others that Jesus is alive and wants to save them from their sins.
Finally, Jesus talks to His disciples about forgiveness. Forgiveness was one of the most important messages that Jesus talked about while He was on earth. He said that if we don't forgive other people's sins, our sins would not be forgiven. In one passage in the Bible, Peter asks Jesus if he should forgive others up to seven times. Jesus said that Peter should not forgive just seven times. Peter was instructed to forgive seventy times seven times.
We know that the message of forgiveness was important to Jesus because of what Jesus did on the cross. Jesus asked the Father to forgive those who were crucifying Him. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
We have been forgiven a great debt of sin through what Jesus had done for us. Therefore, we need to forgive those who have sinned against us.
Next week, the sermon will be posted on Saturday. I will post another message about the Lord Jesus. On Monday, I will post the verses. I will post a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Book Review -- "Fabulous Finn"
For today's review, I would like to introduce you to a fantastic dog book. This week's book is "Fabulous Finn: The Brave Police Dog Who Came Back From The Brink" written by Dave Wardell.
This is the story about a great relationship between a man and his dog and how they came back from a horrible situation.
Dave Wardell is a police dog handler in Hertfordshire. One night, he and his police dog Finn were responding to a call. A suspect was fleeing on foot. Officer Wardell ordered the suspect to stop or he would send Finn after him. The suspect kept running, and Finn was sent. Finn got hold of the suspect, and the suspect stabbed Finn with a 10-inch knife. The suspect was about to stab Officer Wardell, but Finn got between the suspect and Officer Wardell saving his partner's life.
Finn was in a terrible state and had to be rushed to a veterinary clinic. He had a punctured lung and other damage.
The book goes into detail about how Finn and Officer Wardell worked together to come back. It tells of how a bond of love between a man and a dog can work wonders.
Because of what happened to Finn, Dave Wardell started working on what is known as Finn's Law. At the time Finn was stabbed, the law in the UK regarded a police dog as mere property, they were not protected adequately from situations like what occurred with Finn.
Dave Wardell and others have been working tireless to get protection for service animals under Finn's Law. The law has passed in England and Wales. I believe that they are still working on passage in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
I urge you to read this book. It is well-written. I enjoyed how the book wove in information about Dave's life into the overall story of Finn's recovery.
I am not sure if this book is available widely in the United States. I know that you can order it online. I was able to get the book through interlibrary loan.
This is the story about a great relationship between a man and his dog and how they came back from a horrible situation.
Dave Wardell is a police dog handler in Hertfordshire. One night, he and his police dog Finn were responding to a call. A suspect was fleeing on foot. Officer Wardell ordered the suspect to stop or he would send Finn after him. The suspect kept running, and Finn was sent. Finn got hold of the suspect, and the suspect stabbed Finn with a 10-inch knife. The suspect was about to stab Officer Wardell, but Finn got between the suspect and Officer Wardell saving his partner's life.
Finn was in a terrible state and had to be rushed to a veterinary clinic. He had a punctured lung and other damage.
The book goes into detail about how Finn and Officer Wardell worked together to come back. It tells of how a bond of love between a man and a dog can work wonders.
Because of what happened to Finn, Dave Wardell started working on what is known as Finn's Law. At the time Finn was stabbed, the law in the UK regarded a police dog as mere property, they were not protected adequately from situations like what occurred with Finn.
Dave Wardell and others have been working tireless to get protection for service animals under Finn's Law. The law has passed in England and Wales. I believe that they are still working on passage in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
I urge you to read this book. It is well-written. I enjoyed how the book wove in information about Dave's life into the overall story of Finn's recovery.
I am not sure if this book is available widely in the United States. I know that you can order it online. I was able to get the book through interlibrary loan.
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