I am here to post the book review. Sorry that I am a day late. For some reason, I thought that yesterday was Tuesday.
The book that I am reviewing today is entitled "The Autobiography of Foudini M. Cat" written by Susan Fromberg Schaeffer. This book is supposed to be the life story of a cat in his own words. Foudini tells about his life with his people. Much of the book is about Foudini and what he refers to as his dog. Foudini and the dog have a very close relationship. Later in the book, a female cat will enter Foudini's life.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Foudini has a good voice, and the story about Foudini and the dog is very interesting. The writing in the book is quite good. I would recommend this book to all those who love animal stories. Cat lovers will especially enjoy reading about Foudini's life.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Monday, July 28, 2014
Verse of the Week
Starting today, I will be posting a verse for the week on Monday or Tuesday.
Luke 6:35-- "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked."
Luke 6:35-- "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked."
Friday, July 25, 2014
Weekend Sermon-- II Samuel 12
The time for the Weekend Sermon is here again, and I am glad to be with you this week. I hope and pray that all of you have had a good week.
I don't have too much new to report. I would ask you to pray for me that my breathing would improve. It has been so humid where I live that it is affecting my asthma. We need some cooler and less humid weather.
Please pray this week for peace in the world. Conflict seems to be besetting this planet on every hand. Continue in prayer about the situation in Gaza, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine. Also, continue to pray for the spread of the love of Jesus around the world.
Last week, we looked at a prophet by the name of Micaiah who wasn't afraid to speak boldly for the Lord in spite of persecution and ridicule. Today, I want us to look into an incident in the ministry of another man who was a bold and faithful prophet of the Lord.
King David is recorded in Scripture as being a man after God's own heart. However, David certainly didn't do everything that was pleasing to God. In fact, in our text today, we see David at the lowest point in his ethical life.
David saw Bathsheba and was consumed with lust. They had an affair, and Bathsheba became pregnant. Eventually, David would arrange to have Bathsheba's husband killed during the course of a military engagement.
David married Bathsheba, and the pair thought they had gotten away with their misdeed. This was not the case.
On to the scene came Nathan the prophet. Nathan was known in the court of David. On this day, Nathan came to tell the king a story.
Nathan said that a poor man had a lamb that his family treated as a pet. Next door to him was a rich man with abundant flocks. When guests came to the rich man's home, instead of serving a lamb from his abundant flock, the rich man took the poor man's pet and killed it for his banquet.
David was outraged that something so unjust could occur. In fact, David said that the rich man deserved to die for what he had done.
At this point, Nathan said, "You are that man."
David had many wives and concubines, yet he took the wife of another man. David used his power to have her husband killed.
There is a lot to learn from this story.
First of all, Nathan had a lot of courage. It takes boldness to go into the presence of a powerful man and tell him that he is wrong and that God is going to punish him for his wrong deeds. Nathan was unafraid. I also think that Nathan went about confronting David in a very good way. By telling the story of the man and the lamb, Nathan was able to get David to condemn himself.
Just as I said when we looked at Micaiah, I hope that I can have the boldness of a man like Nathan. I know that I often don't share the Gospel with others like I really should because I lack the courage, and I am sometimes filled with fear. What I need to do is pray that the Lord will fill me with the power of His Holy Spirit that I might share the truth of God's Word with those who are within the circle of my influence.
Another thing that strikes me in this story is David's concern with justice which is also God's concern with justice. The Bible is quite clear that the Lord does not look favorably upon the exploitation of the poor and weak by the rich and powerful. The Lord expects those who are in authority to bring justice for the poor and afflicted and to not take the side of the rich and powerful.
In our world today, many corporations are afflicting the poor by paying substandard wages and by providing their workers with unsafe working conditions. The people of God need to speak out against the exploitation of the poor. We must not be among those who are the exploiters.
This story also is interesting to me because of David's reaction about the loss of the poor man's pet lamb. Pets are important, and they should be treated with respect.
The overarching lesson that I get from this passage is that the Lord who made Heaven and Earth sees all that is going on. He will bring justice. Nothing escapes His notice, and the Lord will make all things right ultimately. Even a powerful man like King David could not escape the justice of a just God.
Everyone of us has sinned against the Lord at sometime or another in our lives. The Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We all deserve punishment for our sins. But, thanks be to God, the Heavenly Father provided a way of mercy and forgiveness. Jesus Christ came into this world to satisfy the just demands of a just God. All of our sins were placed on Jesus while He was on the cross. The Bible says that He bore our sins in His body.
In order to receive forgiveness for our sins and receive God's mercy, we must ask Jesus to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We must accept Jesus as Savior and Lord.
Next Wednesday, I will post a cat book review. I will post the Weekend Sermon on either Friday or Saturday. May God bless you. Amen.
I don't have too much new to report. I would ask you to pray for me that my breathing would improve. It has been so humid where I live that it is affecting my asthma. We need some cooler and less humid weather.
Please pray this week for peace in the world. Conflict seems to be besetting this planet on every hand. Continue in prayer about the situation in Gaza, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine. Also, continue to pray for the spread of the love of Jesus around the world.
Last week, we looked at a prophet by the name of Micaiah who wasn't afraid to speak boldly for the Lord in spite of persecution and ridicule. Today, I want us to look into an incident in the ministry of another man who was a bold and faithful prophet of the Lord.
King David is recorded in Scripture as being a man after God's own heart. However, David certainly didn't do everything that was pleasing to God. In fact, in our text today, we see David at the lowest point in his ethical life.
David saw Bathsheba and was consumed with lust. They had an affair, and Bathsheba became pregnant. Eventually, David would arrange to have Bathsheba's husband killed during the course of a military engagement.
David married Bathsheba, and the pair thought they had gotten away with their misdeed. This was not the case.
On to the scene came Nathan the prophet. Nathan was known in the court of David. On this day, Nathan came to tell the king a story.
Nathan said that a poor man had a lamb that his family treated as a pet. Next door to him was a rich man with abundant flocks. When guests came to the rich man's home, instead of serving a lamb from his abundant flock, the rich man took the poor man's pet and killed it for his banquet.
David was outraged that something so unjust could occur. In fact, David said that the rich man deserved to die for what he had done.
At this point, Nathan said, "You are that man."
David had many wives and concubines, yet he took the wife of another man. David used his power to have her husband killed.
There is a lot to learn from this story.
First of all, Nathan had a lot of courage. It takes boldness to go into the presence of a powerful man and tell him that he is wrong and that God is going to punish him for his wrong deeds. Nathan was unafraid. I also think that Nathan went about confronting David in a very good way. By telling the story of the man and the lamb, Nathan was able to get David to condemn himself.
Just as I said when we looked at Micaiah, I hope that I can have the boldness of a man like Nathan. I know that I often don't share the Gospel with others like I really should because I lack the courage, and I am sometimes filled with fear. What I need to do is pray that the Lord will fill me with the power of His Holy Spirit that I might share the truth of God's Word with those who are within the circle of my influence.
Another thing that strikes me in this story is David's concern with justice which is also God's concern with justice. The Bible is quite clear that the Lord does not look favorably upon the exploitation of the poor and weak by the rich and powerful. The Lord expects those who are in authority to bring justice for the poor and afflicted and to not take the side of the rich and powerful.
In our world today, many corporations are afflicting the poor by paying substandard wages and by providing their workers with unsafe working conditions. The people of God need to speak out against the exploitation of the poor. We must not be among those who are the exploiters.
This story also is interesting to me because of David's reaction about the loss of the poor man's pet lamb. Pets are important, and they should be treated with respect.
The overarching lesson that I get from this passage is that the Lord who made Heaven and Earth sees all that is going on. He will bring justice. Nothing escapes His notice, and the Lord will make all things right ultimately. Even a powerful man like King David could not escape the justice of a just God.
Everyone of us has sinned against the Lord at sometime or another in our lives. The Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We all deserve punishment for our sins. But, thanks be to God, the Heavenly Father provided a way of mercy and forgiveness. Jesus Christ came into this world to satisfy the just demands of a just God. All of our sins were placed on Jesus while He was on the cross. The Bible says that He bore our sins in His body.
In order to receive forgiveness for our sins and receive God's mercy, we must ask Jesus to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We must accept Jesus as Savior and Lord.
Next Wednesday, I will post a cat book review. I will post the Weekend Sermon on either Friday or Saturday. May God bless you. Amen.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
A Recommendation
Usually on Wednesday's, I have a review of an animal book or a book about a religious subject. Today, I would like to recommend a TV series instead. Several years ago on Animal Planet, there was a television program that ran for one season called "The Call of the Wild". This series was based very, very loosely on the novel by Jack London.
About three years ago, I came across the DVDs for the complete series. For the past few evenings, I've been watching episodes of this series again. I enjoy this series a great deal, and I recommend it to those who like to watch programs about dogs and the people who love them.
About three years ago, I came across the DVDs for the complete series. For the past few evenings, I've been watching episodes of this series again. I enjoy this series a great deal, and I recommend it to those who like to watch programs about dogs and the people who love them.
Friday, July 18, 2014
Weekend Sermon -- I Kings 22
It is good to be here to post another Weekend Sermon. This is one of my favorite times of the week, when I can share the Word of the Lord.
Once again, I would like to thank the Lord for my job. I have had a lot to do this summer as one of the employees has been on vacation for most of the time. However, it has allowed me to get more hours and improve my financial situation. I thank all of you who have prayed on my behalf.
During your prayer time this week, please pray for peace in the troubled areas of this world. Israel and Gaza are experiencing trouble. War is still raging in Syria, and the unrest in Ukraine continues. Pray for the peace of these places, and that the love of Jesus will reach the hearts of many people in these countries and around the world.
For the past several weeks, we have been in a series of messages about the miracles of Jesus. We will continue with that series in a few weeks. In the interim, there are a few different messages that I would like to post throughout the remainder of the summer.
Today, I would like to talk about a man in the Old Testament that many people may have heard little about. This man is named Micaiah, and he was a great prophet of the Lord. As I Kings 22 begins, Ahab the king of the ten northern tribes of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah made an agreement to go to war against the king of Syria. Before Jehoshaphat would go into battle, he wanted to hear a word from the Lord about whether or not he should go. To placate him, Ahab brought in 400 prophets who all foretold that all would go well if Ahab and Jehoshaphat went into battle.
This didn't satisfy Jehoshaphat. He wanted to hear a message from a prophet of the true and living God.
Ahab said that there was one man that he could call whose name was Micaiah. However, Ahab warned Jehoshaphat that Micaiah never had anything good to say about him.
Micaiah was summoned into the king's presence. Beforehand, Micaiah was warned that 400 prophets had already prophesied that Ahab would be successful. Micaiah was warned that he shouldn't rock the boat, so to speak.
Micaiah would have none of it. He was a true prophet, and he would only tell what the Lord had given to him by means of revelation. He told the kings that they would be defeated, and Ahab would die in battle.
King Ahab ordered that Micaiah be thrown in prison and given nothing but bread and water. Jehoshaphat did not heed the Word of the Lord through Micaiah. Jehoshaphat also did not intervene and help Micaiah.
The two kings went to battle, and they were soundly defeated. Ahab was slain that day on the battlefield, and Jehoshaphat barely escaped with his life.
What does this story have to teach us today?
The first thing that I notice in this account is that Jehoshaphat should not have been in an alliance with Ahab to begin with. Ahab was quite possibly that most wicked king mentioned in the Bible. What fellowship does light have with darkness? Jehoshaphat was basically a good king. He should have relied on the Lord to help him and not relied on the evil king Ahab.
In our world today, we often find ourselves in situations where we want to get into some type of relationship with someone who does not know the Lord. This can be a business relationship or a romantic relationship for instance. The Scripture makes it quite clear that a Christian should not be in a relationship such as this with an unbeliever. The Apostle Paul says that we should not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. In most cases, the unbeliever will lead the Christian down the path that they know they should not go down.
The next thing that strikes me in this account is the prophet Micaiah. This was a bold and fearless man. Four hundred false prophets had already told the kings what they wanted to hear. However, this didn't influence Micaiah at all. He wasn't intimidated by the thought of imprisonment or any other punishment the king might inflict. Micaiah was faithfully committed to speaking what God wanted him to speak.
I hope that as a Christian, I can be as bold as Micaiah. I know that I need to boldly stand up and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in spite of the ridicule that others may heap upon me. If you decide to go full out in following Jesus, you will suffer persecution in this world. The Bible says as much when it states that those who live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
We must not stay silent in the midst of persecution. Like Micaiah, we must boldly proclaim the message given to us to proclaim. As followers of Jesus, we have been given the message of love, light and hope in the risen Christ to proclaim to this generation that is in so much darkness. Let us not fail to be faithful to our Lord.
Finally, we can also learn something else from Jehoshaphat. When we hear the Word of the Lord proclaimed, we better listen to it. Jehoshaphat decided to reject the words of Micaiah and do what he wanted to do anyway. That decision almost cost him his life.
Jesus has given us His teachings and commandments as recorded in the Gospels. He has proclaimed His true and living way in passages such as the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew chapters 5 through 7. If we call Jesus Lord, it is imperative that we follow Him and what He has commanded us to do. To do anything else will only lead to heartache and turmoil in our lives.
I often wonder what became of Micaiah. This I know. Those who faithfully follow the Lord, will be rewarded in Heaven because the Lord is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
You may be facing persecution for your faith, or you may find it hard to stand up for your faith when you know you are the only one who is a Christian within your social group. Take a lesson from Micaiah. Stand up and speak the truth of the Lord in your words and in your deeds.
Next week, I will try to post a book review. I am not promising anything, but I will try. I will post the Weekend Sermon on Friday or Saturday. May God bless you. Amen.
Once again, I would like to thank the Lord for my job. I have had a lot to do this summer as one of the employees has been on vacation for most of the time. However, it has allowed me to get more hours and improve my financial situation. I thank all of you who have prayed on my behalf.
During your prayer time this week, please pray for peace in the troubled areas of this world. Israel and Gaza are experiencing trouble. War is still raging in Syria, and the unrest in Ukraine continues. Pray for the peace of these places, and that the love of Jesus will reach the hearts of many people in these countries and around the world.
For the past several weeks, we have been in a series of messages about the miracles of Jesus. We will continue with that series in a few weeks. In the interim, there are a few different messages that I would like to post throughout the remainder of the summer.
Today, I would like to talk about a man in the Old Testament that many people may have heard little about. This man is named Micaiah, and he was a great prophet of the Lord. As I Kings 22 begins, Ahab the king of the ten northern tribes of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah made an agreement to go to war against the king of Syria. Before Jehoshaphat would go into battle, he wanted to hear a word from the Lord about whether or not he should go. To placate him, Ahab brought in 400 prophets who all foretold that all would go well if Ahab and Jehoshaphat went into battle.
This didn't satisfy Jehoshaphat. He wanted to hear a message from a prophet of the true and living God.
Ahab said that there was one man that he could call whose name was Micaiah. However, Ahab warned Jehoshaphat that Micaiah never had anything good to say about him.
Micaiah was summoned into the king's presence. Beforehand, Micaiah was warned that 400 prophets had already prophesied that Ahab would be successful. Micaiah was warned that he shouldn't rock the boat, so to speak.
Micaiah would have none of it. He was a true prophet, and he would only tell what the Lord had given to him by means of revelation. He told the kings that they would be defeated, and Ahab would die in battle.
King Ahab ordered that Micaiah be thrown in prison and given nothing but bread and water. Jehoshaphat did not heed the Word of the Lord through Micaiah. Jehoshaphat also did not intervene and help Micaiah.
The two kings went to battle, and they were soundly defeated. Ahab was slain that day on the battlefield, and Jehoshaphat barely escaped with his life.
What does this story have to teach us today?
The first thing that I notice in this account is that Jehoshaphat should not have been in an alliance with Ahab to begin with. Ahab was quite possibly that most wicked king mentioned in the Bible. What fellowship does light have with darkness? Jehoshaphat was basically a good king. He should have relied on the Lord to help him and not relied on the evil king Ahab.
In our world today, we often find ourselves in situations where we want to get into some type of relationship with someone who does not know the Lord. This can be a business relationship or a romantic relationship for instance. The Scripture makes it quite clear that a Christian should not be in a relationship such as this with an unbeliever. The Apostle Paul says that we should not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. In most cases, the unbeliever will lead the Christian down the path that they know they should not go down.
The next thing that strikes me in this account is the prophet Micaiah. This was a bold and fearless man. Four hundred false prophets had already told the kings what they wanted to hear. However, this didn't influence Micaiah at all. He wasn't intimidated by the thought of imprisonment or any other punishment the king might inflict. Micaiah was faithfully committed to speaking what God wanted him to speak.
I hope that as a Christian, I can be as bold as Micaiah. I know that I need to boldly stand up and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in spite of the ridicule that others may heap upon me. If you decide to go full out in following Jesus, you will suffer persecution in this world. The Bible says as much when it states that those who live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
We must not stay silent in the midst of persecution. Like Micaiah, we must boldly proclaim the message given to us to proclaim. As followers of Jesus, we have been given the message of love, light and hope in the risen Christ to proclaim to this generation that is in so much darkness. Let us not fail to be faithful to our Lord.
Finally, we can also learn something else from Jehoshaphat. When we hear the Word of the Lord proclaimed, we better listen to it. Jehoshaphat decided to reject the words of Micaiah and do what he wanted to do anyway. That decision almost cost him his life.
Jesus has given us His teachings and commandments as recorded in the Gospels. He has proclaimed His true and living way in passages such as the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew chapters 5 through 7. If we call Jesus Lord, it is imperative that we follow Him and what He has commanded us to do. To do anything else will only lead to heartache and turmoil in our lives.
I often wonder what became of Micaiah. This I know. Those who faithfully follow the Lord, will be rewarded in Heaven because the Lord is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
You may be facing persecution for your faith, or you may find it hard to stand up for your faith when you know you are the only one who is a Christian within your social group. Take a lesson from Micaiah. Stand up and speak the truth of the Lord in your words and in your deeds.
Next week, I will try to post a book review. I am not promising anything, but I will try. I will post the Weekend Sermon on Friday or Saturday. May God bless you. Amen.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Book Review Update
I am in the process of reading several animal books. I will have reviews in the coming weeks.
Monday, July 14, 2014
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