Update

     I was planning on posting the last chapter of the book I wrote on the Minor Prophets. However, I am going to have to move that back to next week. Something very hurtful has happened to me today, and I am really upset. I will still be posting the sermon this week, but it may be Saturday when I do that. Thank you for reading the blog. This blog ministry is really what keeps me going. 

Verses For The Week

 Hebrews 13:16 -- "And do not forget to do good and share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."

Galatians 6:2 --  "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

Weekend Sermon -- God The Provider

      Thank you for taking the time to read the sermon. I am sorry that I didn't get the rest of the book posted this week. I will try to do better this week. I am having a lot of health issues, and my schedule at work is making it hard to get things done. I hope that you are all doing well. 

     Today, we are going to continue with our series of messages where we are looking at some of the names and titles for the Lord that we find primarily in the Old Testament. I want us to focus on the title for God found first in Genesis 22 that God is the one who provides. In Hebrew, God is called YHWH Jireh--the Lord who provides. 

     Let's look at the context where we see this title for God. Abraham was given a child of promise, namely Isaac. One day, God asked Abraham to take his son and offer him up as a sacrifice. Abraham sets off with Isaac to the place of sacrifice. Along the way, Isaac asks where is the lamb for the sacrifice. Abraham tells his son that God will provide the sacrifice. 

     Abraham prepares to sacrifice Isaac, but before he can do it, there is a sacrifice provided by the Lord. Isaac is not sacrificed. The sacrifice provided by God takes his place. 

     There are several other places in both the Old and New Testaments that speak to the fact that God is our provider. For instance, Psalm 107:9 states, "For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things."

     There are two great instances of the provision of the Lord that we see in the Old Testament. God provided manna in the wilderness so that the people would have what they needed to eat. When Elijah was fleeing from Ahab and Jezebel, God sent the ravens to Elijah with the food that he needed.

     In the New Testament, there are several references to the provision that God provides. Philippians 4:19 tells us that, "And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." We also read in James 1:17, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

     The Lord Jesus tells us about the provision of the Father. In Luke 12:24 He says, "Consider the ravens, they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouses nor barns, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than birds."

     Clearly, we see in the Bible that God is our provider. He provides for us in all ways. We have been given so many things by the hand of the Lord. We have food to eat, clothes to wear and places to live. Every good thing that we have in our lives we need to give thanks to God for for giving us these wonderful things. 

     Now, some will say that there are many that don't have enough. That is true. That is due to the fact that human beings don't take care of one another. God has made the provision. We as His followers must be diligent in helping those in need so that there is no need anywhere. We can do this. All of us, including me, are guilty of not doing enough to make sure the provision of God is distributed to all. 

     God has also provided for our spiritual needs. We needed forgiveness and salvation from sin. God provided us with the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. Jesus came into this world to show us the way. He bore our sins. He conquered sin, death and hell. And on top of this, we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit to be our comforter and to guide us into all truth. In addition, Jesus is always with us, and He promised never to leave us.

     God is our great provider. Let us thank Him. Let us help others. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying that I will get to feeling better. To be quite honest, I am having a lot of pain. Keep praying. Thank you.

     I want to thank the Lord that my brother is doing much better.

     Continue to pray for peace. Ukraine, Sudan, Libya and Haiti need our prayers. The entire situation in the Middle East is unstable right now. We need to pray for peace. Pray that a larger war does not erupt in that part of the world. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week let us pray for those in the nations of Turkey and India. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     Next week, we will continue with our current sermon series. I will post the verses on Monday, and I really hope to get the final chapter of the book out this week. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

 Psalm 145:9 -- "The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works."

Nahum 1:7 -- "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him."

Weekend Sermon -- The Lord Is Our Shepherd

      I am thankful to be able to post the message this week. I have been dealing with a lot this week. Things have been hard at work, my health is not good, and I am having transportation issues. Please pray that all of this can be resolved. I do hope and pray that all of you are doing well. 

     For the past couple of weeks, we have been having posts centered around Holy Week and Easter. Today, we are getting back to our series on some of the names and titles for God found in the Old Testament. In this message, I want us to focus on a familiar title for God. In many place in both the Old and New Testaments, God is referred to as our shepherd. The most familiar of these occurrences is in the 23rd Psalm that tells us, "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want."

     That verse is only one of the places in the Bible where we see God referred to as a shepherd. In Genesis 48:15, Jacob states that the Lord had been his shepherd throughout all of his life. That is so true for Jacob, because the Lord watched over him and directed him in many different ways. 

     Another place where we see God referred to as a shepherd is in Isaiah chapter 40. There, it tells us that the Lord is a shepherd who feeds His flock. 

     Jesus, who is God come in the flesh, tells us in John 10 that He is the Good Shepherd. By telling us this, He is letting us know that He is equating Himself with the God who is our shepherd in the Old Testament. 

     Well, what does this title for God signify for us? First of all, let us look at what a shepherd does. Sheep are not really able to take care of themselves all that well in most places in this world. In New Zealand, I know that there are large sheep operations where the sheep are only brought in a couple of times a year for dipping and shearing. They don't need quite as much care because they don't have the abundance of predators that exist in some other places. Even there, the sheep require a lot of care and maintenance. In places where there are wolves, coyotes and other large predators, sheep need to be watched by a shepherd or flock protection dogs on a constant basis. 

     Sheep need to be protected and looked after in order to survive and thrive. They can't make it on their own. The Lord is our shepherd. He protects us from the evil one. Those who are in Christ are protected from death, hell and the grave. We can only have eternal life through Him. 

     The Lord also makes sure that our needs are met. Just as the shepherd leads the flock to green pastures, the Lord God supplies our needs. The Bible says that He has provided us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. 

     A shepherd leads the sheep. He makes sure that they don't get lost and separated from the flock. The Lord Jesus guides us in our life so that if we listen to Him, we will not go down the wrong path. If we listen to Him and His will for our lives, our lives will be better. We will also not be led astray by those who are telling us things that are contrary to the word and the will of the Lord. 

     Finally, shepherds go out after the lost sheep. Jesus said that He was like the shepherd who left the ninety-nine sheep in the fold and went out looking for the sheep that was lost. We are all lost sheep that have gone astray that Bible says. Jesus comes looking for those who are outside of His fold. He wants everyone to find safety and refuge within His love and forgiveness. The angels in heaven rejoice when one lost sheep is found by the loving Good Shepherd. 

     I am grateful that the Good Shepherd the Lord Jesus is watching over me. I don't know how I would make it in this world if it were not for the Lord helping me along. I hope that you are in the fold of the loving Good Shepherd today. Let Him find you, and you will know what true life and true love is. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please pray for my brother. He hurt his leg and has been having trouble.

     Pray that they will get the harbor cleared out in Baltimore.

     Please pray that the wind and the storms forecast in my area will not be bad this week. 

     Let us continue to pray for peace in the troubled areas of this world. Pray for and end to the hostilities between Israel in Gaza. Pray for those trying to bring aid in that area. Pray for those who mourn for those lost this past week. Let us also pray for peace in Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Haiti, Libya and the other troubled areas of this world. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week let us pray for those in the nations of Gambia and Azerbaijan. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     This week, I will post the verses on Monday. I will be posting the sermon on Friday or Saturday. I am holding off on posting the final part of the book until the next week. May God bless you all.

Update

      I am dealing with a lot of different issues this week. I will be posting the final part of the Minor Prophets book next week. I hope to post the sermon on Saturday, but it might not get done. Please keep praying for me. Thank you. 

Verses For The Week

 Hebrews 2:14-15 -- "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery."

Isaiah 25:8 -- "He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of His people He will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken."