Weekend Sermon -- Luke 6:39-40

     Thank you for stopping by the blog to read the Weekend Sermon.  It is the best part of my week when I have the privilege of sharing the Word of the Lord with others.  I hope that everyone is having a great week.
     I want to thank the Lord that the storms in my area weren't too bad.  We did have quite a bit of rain, but there were no flooding issues.  Please pray with me that the storms predicted for this weekend won't be too bad. Thank you for your prayers.
     This has been a very busy week at work.  I have also been working on some projects, and I hope to start on my new book project shortly.  As you may know, I am posting chapters of my book on the shortest books in the Bible here on the blog on Tuesdays.  That will resume this Tuesday.
     In prayer, please pray for those who had storm damage in the southern United States this week.  There was a lot of wind and hail damage in places.
     Also, please pray for an end to the Zika virus.  I heard a report on NPR that this virus is still causing many problems in some countries.
     Remember to pray for peace in Syria and Iraq.  These two nations need an end to warfare so badly.  Pray for those trying to flee the conflicts that they might find safety.
     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for the nations of Liberia and Vietnam.  Pray that many people in these two nations will hear about the good news of Jesus.
     During the course of the last few weeks, we have been in a series of messages focusing on the parables of Jesus.  For this week's message, I would like us to bring our attention to a short parable that Jesus told in Luke 6.
     Luke 6:39-40 states, "And he told them a parable, 'Can a blind person guide a blind person?  Will not both fall into a pit?  No disciple is superior to the teacher, but when fully trained, every disciple will be like the teacher.'"
     In this parable, Jesus is not speaking about physical blindness.  He is just using an example from the physical world to demonstrate a point about spiritual matters.  Of course it is true, if someone is not able to see, that person would not want to rely on someone else who can't see to guide them.  Both would more than likely not get where they wanted to go.
     In order for someone who can't see to get where they need to go, they need a guide who can see the way ahead clearly.  I know this is beside the point, but I think that the work that guide dogs perform is just amazing.  I've actually been able to see a guide dog work on several occasions. A woman who used to come into the grocery store where I shop had a guide dog.  That dog was able to help that woman go all around the store.  Also, a young lady in the church I attended many years ago had a guide dog who helped her to go to Sunday school and children's church.  That was the most well-trained dog I'd every seen.
     Clearly, we need to see the way before us clearly.  If we don't we will go off course.
     This principle is also true in the spiritual life.  The blind cannot lead the blind.  So, what was Jesus teaching us?
     First of all, Jesus was directly referring to the religious leaders of His day.  On many occasions, Jesus said that the religious leaders were blind guides leading the blind.  The religious leaders did not recognize the truth about who Jesus was, so they were unable to lead the people in the way that they needed to go.  Jesus also called them hypocrites.  They were unable to lead others because they themselves did not practice what they preached.  Jesus warned His followers not to follow these religious leaders.
     We need to be on guard as to what kind of spiritual teachers we are following.  If we follow those who are not teaching true and correct doctrine, we will be led astray and we will go off course in our spiritual lives.
     This is what Jesus is saying in verse 40.  We will only progress like those we let lead us.  If our leaders are spiritually blind, we will end up in the darkness as well.  In verse 40, Jesus is not saying that no student ever goes behind his teacher.  We see this happening all the time.  Many pupils in the arts and music become much more renowned than their teachers.  However, if they didn't get the fundamentals right in the first place, odds are, they won't achieve success.
     As followers of Jesus, we need to be aware of whose teachings we are following.  By this I am speaking about pastors, teachers, evangelists, etc.  There are many people in this world today who are not teaching the orthodox teachings of the Christian faith.  They don't understand the truth themselves, so that cannot explain the truth to others.
     There are three ways we can be on guard against being led off course.  First of all, we must be students of the Bible.  The easiest way to be led off course is if you don't have a thorough understanding of the Bible.  I urge you to read and study God's Word thoroughly.  If you do this, you will recognize what is not Biblical as soon as you hear it.
     Also, we need to look to Jesus.  We need to read about what Jesus said and what He did.  We need to look to Him as the author and prefector of our faith.  By studying the teachings of Jesus and by communicating with Jesus in prayer, we will stay on the narrow path that leads to life.  Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit to led us into all truth and to convict us of what is right and true and good.
    The third way we can be kept from being led off course by blind guides is to look at their fruit.  Jesus said that we will know them by their fruit.  A good tree does not produce bad fruit and a bad tree does not produce good fruit.  If you see a spiritual teacher whose life is filled with greed, excess and immoral behavior, don't listen to that person.  Find someone who is living out the teachings of Jesus in their life.
     The most important thing we can do is to follow Jesus and speak to Him each day.  If we have the desire deep within our hearts to know Him and to love Him, He will guide us as the Great Good Shepherd that He is.  He will keep us in the path of righteousness for His name's sake.
     Next week, we will continue with our series of messages on the parables of Jesus.  On Monday, I will post the verses.  Chapter 3 of the book will posted on Tuesday, and there will be review on Wednesday.  May God bless you all.  Amen.

Book Review -- "Lessons From Tara"

     Before I begin my book review, I would like to ask everyone if they would pray that the storms won't be bad in my area today.  Thank you.  Also, please pray for the people in Texas who had the terrible storms the other night.

     The book that I am reviewing today is "Lessons From Tara" written by David Rosenfelt.  Mr. Rosenfelt is a well-known mystery writer.  In this book, the author leaves the mystery writing behind and focuses on his own life and how dogs have played an important part in helping him to have a better life.
     The dog that the author writes the most about is Tara his golden retriever.  She was a a once in a lifetime dog that set the author and his wife on the course to being involved in dog rescue.  Mr. Rosenfelt and his wife started the Tara Foundation, and they helped rescue about 4,000 dogs.
     Tara is not the only dog featured in the book.  As a dog rescuer, the author has over 20 dogs he is caring for at any one time.  The author writes about many of these dogs and their humorous antics.
     I believe that any dog lover would enjoy this book, and I highly recommend it.  The author writes well and there are many good stories in the book.

Verses For the Week

Mark 1:15 -- "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news."

Galatians 6:9 -- "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

Weekend Sermon -- "The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

     I am so glad to be able to post the Weekend Sermon this week.  I hope that all of you are doing well.  Thank you for reading the blog.

     This past week has been an active week for me.  I've been inspired to work even harder on poetry now that I've had work accepted again.  I am also getting ready to start two book projects.  I've been feeling pretty good, but I am not up to full speed yet.  My doctor said that it might take me several weeks to recover fully.

     In prayer this week, please remember to pray for those in London who were affected by the terrorist attack.  Pray for those who are injured that they might recover, and pray for those who mourn the loss of a loved one.  Pray for an end to terrorism around the world.

     Let us continue to pray for peace in the troubled areas of the world.  I especially would like us all to pray for peace in Syria and Iraq as these two nations are facing such terrible troubles.

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for the nations of Laos and Saudi Arabia.  Pray that people in these two lands will hear about the love of Jesus.

     I would ask that you would pray that the storms forecast in my area won't be bad today.  These stormy days make me nervous.  Thank you for your prayers.

     Since the beginning of the year, we have been in a study focusing upon the parables of Jesus.  This week, we will turn our attention to the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.  I find this to be one of the most interesting of Jesus' parables.

     In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus tells a parable about two men who went to the temple to pray.  The Pharisee prayed thanking God that he was not like other sinful people including the tax collector near him.  The Pharisee then went on to tell God all of the good things that he did in order to gain God's approval.  

    The tax collector prayed in a different manner.  He would not even lift his eyes up to Heaven when he prayed.  He beat his chest and said, "God be merciful to me a sinner."  

    Jesus said that the tax collector went home justified and not the Pharisee.  Jesus went on to say, "Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted." 

     I believe that there is much to learn from this important parable.  Let's first look at why Jesus told this parable.  It says in Luke 18:9, "He then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else."

     In Jesus' day, the Pharisees thought that they were accepted by God because of how rigorously they kept the law.  Like the Pharisee in the parable, they thought they were superior to other people because they were good and did what was right.  The Pharisees, and other religious leaders, often looked down on certain types and classes of people.  Those who were sick were deemed to be excluded by God because the Pharisees thought that sickness was a sign of God's judgment.  They also viewed poverty as a sign of God's displeasure.

    The Pharisees also thought that others were sinners and unworthy.  Tax collectors were at the top of the unrighteous list because they were viewed to be unrighteous collaborators with Rome.

    There are a lot of religious people today who act just like the Pharisees did in Jesus' day.  Many feel that they are better than others because they go to church or they have had a certain type of religious experience.  They pride themselves on following all the commandments, and they often view other types of people as sinners who God does favor like He does them.

     Of course this is the wrong type of attitude for a follower of Jesus to have.  Jesus loved everyone and He said that whoever would come to Him, He would in no way cast them out.  Jesus went to the homes of tax collectors and sinners, and the religious leaders despised Him for it.  However, Jesus knew that everyone needed to know that God loved and cared about them.  He knew that everyone need to experience hope and forgiveness.

     So often, Christians come across as condemning others.  We get a reputation for what we are against instead of what we are for.  We condemn whole groups of people and then wonder why they don't want to come to church or why they have a negative opinion of Christianity.

     As believers in Jesus, we need to follow Jesus' example and love and not condemn.  We are not righteous in and of ourselves.  All that we have comes to us by the grace of the Lord Jesus.

     This leads me to another important thing that this parable is trying to teach.  Before we become a Christian, our salvation is not obtained by our good deeds, and after we have trusted in Jesus we are not kept by good deeds.

     The Bible is quite clear that we are saved by grace through faith, and works are not a part of it.  So many people are trusting in their good works to make themselves acceptable to God.  Several years ago, I was involved in evangelism ministry.  We would talk to people about their relationship with Jesus.  Usually, people would tell us that they thought they were right with God because they had done more good than bad.

    The Bible is clear.  No one is righteous in and of themselves.  It is only through the imputed righteousness of Jesus that we are made right with God.  We cannot earn salvation or God's favor.

     Many Christians are under the impression that the Lord will love them more or care about them more because of the way they live and the for the good deeds they do.  Jesus loves you for who you are not because of what you do.  We should do good and we should follow the teachings of Jesus, but we should be doing these things because of the fact that we love Jesus.  Our motivation should never be that we do good in order to gain favor with the Lord and get Him to do something for us.

     All that we have is by God's grace.  His unmerited favor is why we have salvation and all other things that pertain to life and Godliness.

     This parable further speaks to us by demonstrating to us that we all need to be aware that we need to ask for forgiveness.  God is merciful, and He will forgive us when we ask Him to.  The Bible says in I John that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

     Another important aspect of this parable is the fact that we need to be people of humility and not people who are filled with pride.  Those who lift themselves up will eventually fall.  Those who trust in the Lord and have a humble heart will be exalted.  Just as Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, "The meek shall inherit the earth."

     What excites me the most about this teaching of Jesus is that anyone can come to Jesus.  No one is excluded from God's love.  God created you, and He loves you.  He sent His Son the Lord Jesus to show us all how much that He loves us and wants us to come to Him.

     Maybe people in the church have made you feel excluded or unwanted.  I've been in your shoes, and the greatest thing that I can every tell you is that Jesus loves you.  No matter who you are,  Jesus loves you.  When I truly realized this, it made a great difference in my life.  When you realize how much Jesus cares about you, your life will be different too.

     Next week, we will continue with our parables of Jesus series.  On Monday, I will post the verses.  This Tuesday, I will not be posting a chapter from the book.  I need to make a revision on chapter 3, and then I will post it the following Tuesday.  On Wednesday, I will have a review.  May God bless you all.  Amen.

Book Review -- "Oscar: The Bionic Cat"

     Today's book is a book about an incredible cat and how astonishing advances in veterinary medicine made Oscar the cat's recovery possible.  "Oscar:  The Bionic Cat" by Kate Allan tells the story of Oscar the cat.  Oscar was in a terrible accident that caused both of his back legs to be seriously damaged.
     Kate Allan took Oscar to the local vet, but there wasn't really anything that he could do to save the cat's legs.  However, all hope was not lost for Oscar.  Oscar's vet knew about a veterinary surgeon named Noel Fitzpatrick who was performing groundbreaking surgeries in his clinic in Surrey.
     Oscar went to Fitzpatrick Referrals, and he was the first recipient of two integrated implants.  One was placed in the bone of each leg allowing Oscar to walk again.
     This book is very interesting.  I definitely recommend it.  I love to watch the program "Supervet" which shows various cases that Oscar's vet Noel Fitzpatrick handles.  He is able to do some remarkable things.
     The book does leave the reader hanging a bit as to the ultimate outcome for Oscar.  However, if you watch the first ever episode of "Supervet"  you will see Oscar and learn that he is still going strong with the continued support of Fitzpatrick's clinic.

Book -- "Lessons From the Bible's Shortest Books" -- Ch. 2 -- Haggai

Chapter Two – Haggai

     The next of the little books that we will turn our attention to is the prophetic book known as Haggai.  While Haggai actually contains two chapters, it is still a little book by Biblical standards.  Like the other little books that we will study, Haggai has an important message for us today.

     Let’s start with a little bit of historical background surrounding the events that are recorded in this book.  In 586 BC, the people of the nation of Judah were carried off into captivity by the Babylonians.  This was predicted by the prophet Jeremiah.  Readers can study more about this by reading the book of Jeremiah.  Jeremiah is one of the outstanding characters in the Old Testament, and there is much to learn from the way that he conducted his life. 

     Because the people had rebelled against God and decided to worship idols instead of the True and Living God, the Lord allowed the Babylonians to conquer Judah.  One of those taken into captivity was Daniel.  In spite of being a young man in a strange land, Daniel throughout his life remained faithful to the Lord.  Ezekiel the prophet was also taken away during the Babylonian invasion.  I urge you all to read and study Daniel and Ezekiel in the Old Testament.

     After a period of several years, the Babylonians were defeated by the Medo-Persian Empire.  During the reign of the Persian king Cyrus, the Jewish people were allowed to return to their own land in order to rebuild something of their former lives.  This is referred to in Biblical history as the Post-Exilic Period. 

     The historical books of Ezra and Nehemiah provide great information about the return of the people to the land of Israel.  Nehemiah was in charge of rebuilding the walls of the city of Jerusalem, and Ezra helped to keep the people on the path of faithfully following the way of the Lord.

     One thing that I find especially interesting is the fact that the period of captivity in Babylon ended the people’s practice of following other gods.  Israel committed other sins, but the nation did not wholesale turn to the gods of the nations that surrounded them again.

     Part of Israel’s restoration was the rebuilding of the nation’s religious life.  When Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem, they completely and utterly destroyed the Temple that Solomon built.  They carried away all the precious objects from the Temple back to their own kingdom.  When the people returned to Jerusalem, they set about to rebuild the Temple that had once stood so gloriously in the midst of the city.  The people were led by a man named Zerubbabel who was a member of the House of David. 

     A man by the name of Joshua served the high priest.  He was specifically consecrated by God to serve in this role.  The consecration of Joshua the High Priest is recorded in the book of Zechariah the prophet.

     As I mentioned, the people began to rebuild their lives in Jerusalem.  They cleared away all of the rubble and debris from the Temple Mount, but that is as far as things went.  The people became distracted from the work on the Temple, and they started building houses for themselves and pursuing their own business interests.  Into this situation, God raised up the prophets Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi to speak to the people.

     Just on a side note, Zechariah is an extremely interesting book to study.  In contains prophecies concerning the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus, and there are prophecies in the book related to the Lord’s Second Coming.  Malachi is concerned with getting the people to remember that God loves them, and that God’s people should strive to give their best unto the Lord. 

     Back to Haggai.  We don’t know much about the personal history of Haggai.  He pretty much just shows up on the scene, although his presence and ministry is recorded in the book of Ezra.

     Haggai’s name means festive.  He began his prophetic ministry to the people in the second year of the reign of King Darius on the first day of the sixth month.  In this prophecy, we will see that the Lord had grown tired of people focusing on their own needs and concerns while they were neglecting the things of God such as rebuilding the Temple.

     In his short period of ministry, Haggai would bring a message of both rebuke and encouragement.  He sought to motivate the people to return to the work of the Lord. 

     In Haggai 1:3, the prophet begins His word to the people by stating, “Is it time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses while this house remains in ruin?”  In verse 7 the Lord would command the people to go into the mountains to obtain the timbers needed to begin construction on the Lord’s House.

     Haggai preached to the people and Governor Zerubbabel for 23 days.  On the 24^th day of the month, the people began to work.  Haggai gave an encouraging word from the Lord in 1:11.  The Lord said to His people, “I am with you.”  This statement stirred the hearts of the leader and his people to rise up and build a new Temple for the honor and glory of God.

     There is much that we can learn and apply to our lives from Haggai chapter 1.  I believe that the first important message that we can learn from Haggai is that those of us who are followers of the Lord need to put Him first in our lives. The people of Haggai’s day had neglected God and doing the things that God wanted them to do.  They didn’t seem to have the time to repair the Temple, yet they found the time to repair their own homes and do the things that they wanted to do.  There is no place in the text that states that the people stopped believing in the Lord, they just couldn’t be bothered with following the commandments of the Lord or putting the things of the Lord first in their lives.

     Two passages from the New Testament come to mind when I think about the people of Haggai’s time.  I recall the passage from Revelation 2:4 that states, “Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”  Jesus spoke these words to the people of the church at Ephesus.  The people at this church were living for the Lord, but they were not following Him with all of their hearts. 

    The second passage that comes to mind is from the words of Jesus recorded in the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus said to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness first, and all of these other things would be added unto you. 

     So, how does all of this apply to us?  First of all, I believe the many of us our becoming more concerned about ourselves and we are neglecting the things of God.  I believe that this applies in two important areas, namely giving and fulfilling the Great Commission.

     Giving and the tithe are usually controversial subjects, but that doesn’t mean that we should shy away from them.  On the contrary, it is required of a minister to preach and proclaim the whole counsel of God.

     Because of the way that many media preachers constantly beg for money and lay a guilt trip on people, the concept of tithing has gotten something of a bad rap.  However, the tithe is most certainly Scriptural, and Jesus our Lord speaks about giving the tithe.

     Giving in the church has become very lax as far as the tithe is concerned.  Some polls have stated that the average level of giving among church members is around 2 to 3 percent.  This is a far cry from the tithe. 

     Let’s just look at a few of the Scriptures that teach about tithing.  The first mention of tithing is found in Genesis 14:20 when Abraham gave King Melchizedek 10 percent of the spoils after the defeat of the kings of the valley. 

     The principle of the tithe was codified in the Law of Moses.  We see this in Deuteronomy 14:22 and 26:12.

     One of the most startling verses about the tithe is found in Malachi 3:10.  God said that the people had robbed Him because they had not brought the tithe into the storehouse of the Temple.

     The Lord Jesus Himself spoke about the tithe.  Matthew 23 records the woes that Jesus pronounced upon the Pharisees and religious leaders of His day.  Jesus states in Matthew 23:23, “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you tithe of mint and anise and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law:  justice and mercy and faith.  These you ought to have done without leaving the others undone.”  In other words, do acts of justice, mercy and kindness, and give the tithe.

     What does all this have to do with Haggai?  Well, we often focus on our own needs, and we don’t give unto the Lord what belongs to Him.  One way this is manifest is through giving.  When we keep back what should rightfully go to the Lord and use it for ourselves, we are acting in the same manner as those in Haggai’s time.

     We need to give to the Lord.  Now, I am not promising as the faith teachers do that if you give you’ll get something in return.  I don’t believe in that sort of thing.  What I am saying is that the giving of our resources is an important area of demonstration of our love for the Lord just like working on the Temple was in Haggai’s day.

     Now, a second area where I think that Haggai has application is regarding how we are fulfilling what we have been called by the Lord to do in the Great Commission.  Jesus has called us to go into the world and tell others of His message of love and forgiveness.  However, much of this world remains unreached.  Seventy percent of the people on earth right now are not Christians of any kind.

     Jesus spoke about the need for evangelization in John 4:35.  He said that the fields were white unto harvest, but the laborers were few.  In Matthew 28:19-20 and in Acts 1:8, Jesus instructs His followers to go unto the uttermost parts of the earth and make disciples.  Matthew 24:14 says, “And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all, and then the end will come.”

     The majority of people sitting in church pews today have not had the experience of leading one soul to faith in Jesus Christ.  Here in the United States where I live, the number of Christians continues to decline.

     We need all Christians to follow the Great Commission of Jesus and spread His message around the world.  It will take our time, talent and resources in missions to see people come to the Lord.  Just as the exiles had the mission of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah and rebuilding the Temple, we have a mission of taking the Good News to the lost of this world. 

     On this point, I want to say a few words.  Putting the Lord first in our lives can also have a very personal meaning.  I believe that the Lord calls each of us to minister for Him in this world in some way.  It is up to us to follow the Lord’s will for our lives or to go our own way.  We can follow the Lord and be yielded to His will, or we can be like the prophet Jonah and attempt to go 180 degrees from the way the Lord has shown us to go.

     You can attempt to go your own way in your life, but you will never find true happiness and contentment unless you put Jesus first.  Until Jesus is the Lord of every aspect of your life, you cannot know true joy and peace.

     The prophet Haggai gave important words of encouragement to the people after he told them that God wanted them to get back to work.  Haggai 2:4 states, “Yet now be strong Zerubbabel, says the Lord, and be strong, Joshua son of Jehozidak, the high priest, and be strong, all of you people of the land says the Lord, and work, for I am with you says the Lord of hosts.”

     The Lord had assigned the people a task, and He would be with them to strengthen them in order to accomplish His will.  With the Lord on their side, the people were able to complete the work on the Temple.

     This same principle holds true in our time.  If the Lord Jesus gives you a task to complete or a commandment to follow, He will be with you and will provide the awareness of His presence as you go about His work in obedience. Also, if Jesus calls you to a specific ministry, He will help you do whatsoever it is that He has specifically called you to do.

     In a general sense, we as believers in Jesus can take comfort from these words of Jesus Himself.  Jesus said that He would never leave us and that He would never forsake us.  He said that He would be with us to the end of the age.

     The Lord is with us.  Through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, the Lord leads us through the difficulties of this life, and He walks alongside of us to provide the comfort of His presence and of His still, small voice speaking into our hearts to let us know the true peace that only He can provide.

     I would like to speak to you for a few moments about how important the presence of the Lord has been in my life.  A few years ago, I faced four hard blows in my life right in a row.  First, my Mother suffered a debilitating stroke.  My Dad and I had to take care of her 24 hours a day for over five years until she passed away.  Four months after my Mom died, my Dad passed away.  About three months later, I faced a great financial setback from which I have yet to fully recover.  Then, on top of that, I had a series of health problems.

     Let me tell you, it was hard coping with all this hitting me one right after the other.  The only way that I was able to make it through these difficulties was due to the fact that I knew without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus was with me. Through it all, He has been the rock down deep in my soul not letting me slip down to the very depths of depression. 

     If you are going through a bad time, please take comfort from the words of the Lord spoken through the prophet Haggai.  Jesus is always with us.  One day, we will be with Him in person, and we will spend all of eternity with Him.  What a great day that will be.

     Now we turn to the third important lesson that we can learn from the book of Haggai.  When the people heard the word of the Lord through Haggai, they obeyed the word given to them.  This is an important component of the Christian life.  Jesus told His disciples that they would be considered His friends if they obeyed His commandments.  Friendship and fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ requires living in obedience to the teachings and commandments of Jesus. 

     I personally do not understand how someone can be a Christian if they are not willing to be obedient to the Lord.  I know that it wouldn’t work for me. 

     There is a belief that is popular among many Christians that one can accept Jesus as Savior without accepting Jesus as the Lord of one’s life.  From the way that I read the Bible, being a Christian means following Jesus.  It means making Jesus Lord and obeying Him.  It means following wherever He leads.

     Much of what the Lord requires of us is recorded in the pages of the Bible.  However, as I mentioned, I believe that the Lord has a personal calling that He often places on our lives.  We will not find true happiness in life unless we follow what God has called us to do.

     There is one final thing that I want to focus on from Haggai.  The last section of the book deals with how God will use the leader Zerubabbel.  God made a promise to David that someone from the line of David would always and forever rule over the house of Israel.  Zerubbabel was part of this fulfillment, but he was not the ultimate fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant.   The ultimate fulfillment of this covenant is Jesus.

     One day, Jesus will reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  He will rule over all, and all of the world will know peace and goodness and righteousness.

      I find this passage from Haggai encouraging because it shows me that God always keeps His promises.  This is important because the Bible says in Hebrews 13:8 that Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever.  I can count on this because God has shown in history that He does whatsoever He says. 

     Jesus made two promises that I can have confidence in that He will keep.  Jesus said that He is the resurrection and the life.  My parents and most of my friends who believed in Jesus have died.  But, I do not have to grieve as those who have no hope.  Jesus will keep His word.  I know that my family and friends are alive right now with Jesus in Heaven.

     Jesus also promised that He has gone to prepare a place for us.  If we believe and trust in Him, one day, we will be with Him where He is.  I look forward to the day when I am with Jesus my Lord and reunited with my friends and loved ones who are in Christ.

     This ends our look at the teachings of the Lord from the book of Haggai.  Let us now turn our attention to the shortest of Paul’s epistles and see what we can learn from Philemon.

    

     

Verses For the Week

Revelation 21:4 -- "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Psalm 73:26 -- "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."