Thanks for taking time to read the sermon today. We've had a lot of rain where I live over the last two days. I am thankful to the Lord that there was no flooding at my house. Thank you for your prayers.
For the last couple of months,we have had the privilege of studying about the life and ministry of the prophet Daniel. Today, we will conclude our Daniel study. In this last study, there are two things that I want to focus on .
In Daniel chapter 12, we see that God told Daniel to seal up the book that Daniel had written. A lot had been revealed to Daniel, but not everything. He would go to his grave, but God told him that he would rise at the end of the world. In fact, the Lord revealed to Daniel that at the end of the age, those who are the Lord's will be resurrected to eternal life, while those who have rejected the Lord will have a resurrection of judgment. Jesus tells us this same thing in His teachings . He tells us that one day, He will return to this Earth. He will send His angels to the four corners of the earth to separate the righteous from the wicked. Jesus will judge the living and the dead. Those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus will be with Him forever. Those who have rejected Christ's free gift of salvation will be apart from Jesus throughout all eternity.
As believers in Jesus, we can look forward to the coming of our Lord. It will be the occasion when all things are restored to the state before sin entered into the universe. Peace will reign across the universe. There will be no more war, pain, sickness suffering or death for people or for animals.
The other thing that I want to focus on is that God asked Daniel to have faith in Him in regard to the future. This doesn't just apply to our ultimate end . None of us knows what is going to happen to us in the next minute or tomorrow. We do know the one who knows the future if we are in Christ. He goes before us directing us along the path that we are to go. We can trust in His graciousness and goodness to supply our needs and lead us on the path that is the best for our spiritual improvement. We must have faith to believe that He who began a good work in us will be able to complete it.
I've had a lot of fun posting these messages on Daniel. He is truly an example of faithfulness to God in the midst of trying and difficult circumstances. He is an example of putting the Lord first, no matter the consequences or what others think. Amen.
Prayer Requests And Other Matters
Let us continue to pray for an end to the coronavirus pandemic. Cases continue to increase. Everyone needs to wear masks and practice social distancing. Let's pray that those who are sick will recover quickly.
Pray for peace. Syria, Libya, Afghanistan and Yemen continue to experience difficulties.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us focus our prayers on the United Arab Emirates and Mali.
Starting on Friday of next week, we will spend the next month doing something very different here on the blog. I have finished a devotional book called "Thirty Days Thirty Psalms." I am going to post one devotional each day for 30 days in a row starting next Friday. We will not have a regular blog schedule during that period. Hopefully, we will learn a lot from these Psalms. It was fun writing this work, and I look forward to posting over this 30 day period. May God bless you all. Amen.
Friday, July 31, 2020
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Various Items On Wednesday
There is going to be several different items on the blog today. First, I would ask that you pray that storms predicted for this week in my area will not cause flooding. Thank you.
Over the last few weeks, I have been watching the original Star Trek movies again. I wanted to see which ones I liked the best after not watching any of them for a couple of years now.
My favorites in order are:
1. Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan. I think that this movie is William Shatner's best performance as Kirk.
2. Star Trek IV The Journey Home. An all around good story with an important environmental message.
3. Star Trek V The Final Frontier. Many don't like this one, but I think it does a great job of raising some interesting philosophical and theological questions.
4. Star Trek III The Search For Spock. I liked this more at one time. After watching it again, I found it boring.
5. Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country. Not that bad, but not that good.
6. Star Trek The Motion Picture. Only for die hard fans.
Now to rate the Star Trek series.
1. Star Trek the original series. My grandpa and I loved to watch this when I was a boy.
2. Deep Space Nine. I enjoyed the overall story line and the cast of characters.
3. Star Trek Discovery. I thought the first season was better than the second, but I think Pike is a great captain, and I am looking forward to that new series.
4. The Next Generation. Really good after the first two seasons. Patrick Stewart as Picard was excellent. The superior captain of the whole franchise.
5. Star Trek Voyager. I felt this was poorly acted.
6. Star Trek Enterprise. I didn't like this one at all.
I haven't watched Picard yet.
Finally, a poem I had published in a journal called Writer's Cramp in 1998.
Hyenas
With laughing toothy grins,
they prance along the plain.
Giggling, they glide
through blades turned to straw
in a parched land lacking rain.
Spotted hides of black and gold
provide the perfect cover.
But frivolity gives them away.
Over the last few weeks, I have been watching the original Star Trek movies again. I wanted to see which ones I liked the best after not watching any of them for a couple of years now.
My favorites in order are:
1. Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan. I think that this movie is William Shatner's best performance as Kirk.
2. Star Trek IV The Journey Home. An all around good story with an important environmental message.
3. Star Trek V The Final Frontier. Many don't like this one, but I think it does a great job of raising some interesting philosophical and theological questions.
4. Star Trek III The Search For Spock. I liked this more at one time. After watching it again, I found it boring.
5. Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country. Not that bad, but not that good.
6. Star Trek The Motion Picture. Only for die hard fans.
Now to rate the Star Trek series.
1. Star Trek the original series. My grandpa and I loved to watch this when I was a boy.
2. Deep Space Nine. I enjoyed the overall story line and the cast of characters.
3. Star Trek Discovery. I thought the first season was better than the second, but I think Pike is a great captain, and I am looking forward to that new series.
4. The Next Generation. Really good after the first two seasons. Patrick Stewart as Picard was excellent. The superior captain of the whole franchise.
5. Star Trek Voyager. I felt this was poorly acted.
6. Star Trek Enterprise. I didn't like this one at all.
I haven't watched Picard yet.
Finally, a poem I had published in a journal called Writer's Cramp in 1998.
Hyenas
With laughing toothy grins,
they prance along the plain.
Giggling, they glide
through blades turned to straw
in a parched land lacking rain.
Spotted hides of black and gold
provide the perfect cover.
But frivolity gives them away.
Monday, July 27, 2020
Verses For The Week
Matthew 28:19-20 -- "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Sunday, July 26, 2020
Some Thoughts On Sunday
I don't usually post on Sundays, but there are a couple of things on my mind. Before I get to that, I have a prayer request. Please pray that the storms predicted for my area tonight and tomorrow will not be bad and cause flooding. Thank you.
Now, I want to mention two things that are concerning me. First of all, there is the coronavirus pandemic. The number of cases in my area is growing. Why? People will not wear masks, they will not wear masks properly, and they will not even try to practice social distancing.
I had to go to the grocery store and get gas for the car today. Only the clerk at the station had a mask on, and she had her nose sticking out of the mask. There were a group of older motorcyclists in some type of bike club who came in just as I was leaving the station. All of them went inside without masks. At the grocery store, you have to have a mask on to get in. After coming in, some put their masks down around their chins. Employees had their noses outside of the mask .
Please wear a mask properly to stop the spread of the virus. Think about the health and lives of others.
Now, lack of social distancing is contributing to coronavirus spread. Over the Fourth of July weekend, there were several large house parties in my area. No masks, no distancing. Now cases and hospitalizations are growing. People need to put the gatherings and parties on hold for awhile.
We all need to work together to combat this pandemic.
One more item about the coronavirus pandemic. Many of the most anti mask people that I see on Twitter state in their profile that they are Christians. I remind them of Paul's admonition to think of the interests of others and not just your own interests.
I would like to address the issue of the ongoing protests in the United States. Citizens of this country absolutely have the right to peacefully protest. There should not be violence. What is alarming me now is the excessive use of force by law enforcement. This has to stop. Unidentified people dressed in camouflage don't need to he gassing people out on the streets. We need to have an end to the violence and seek constructive solutions to the problems in this country. As Christians, we must always stand for non-violence and justice, and we must stand against racism.
I will post the verses tommorow. God bless you.
Now, I want to mention two things that are concerning me. First of all, there is the coronavirus pandemic. The number of cases in my area is growing. Why? People will not wear masks, they will not wear masks properly, and they will not even try to practice social distancing.
I had to go to the grocery store and get gas for the car today. Only the clerk at the station had a mask on, and she had her nose sticking out of the mask. There were a group of older motorcyclists in some type of bike club who came in just as I was leaving the station. All of them went inside without masks. At the grocery store, you have to have a mask on to get in. After coming in, some put their masks down around their chins. Employees had their noses outside of the mask .
Please wear a mask properly to stop the spread of the virus. Think about the health and lives of others.
Now, lack of social distancing is contributing to coronavirus spread. Over the Fourth of July weekend, there were several large house parties in my area. No masks, no distancing. Now cases and hospitalizations are growing. People need to put the gatherings and parties on hold for awhile.
We all need to work together to combat this pandemic.
One more item about the coronavirus pandemic. Many of the most anti mask people that I see on Twitter state in their profile that they are Christians. I remind them of Paul's admonition to think of the interests of others and not just your own interests.
I would like to address the issue of the ongoing protests in the United States. Citizens of this country absolutely have the right to peacefully protest. There should not be violence. What is alarming me now is the excessive use of force by law enforcement. This has to stop. Unidentified people dressed in camouflage don't need to he gassing people out on the streets. We need to have an end to the violence and seek constructive solutions to the problems in this country. As Christians, we must always stand for non-violence and justice, and we must stand against racism.
I will post the verses tommorow. God bless you.
Friday, July 24, 2020
Weekend Sermon -- Daniel Part 9
It is once again time for the Weekend Sermon. I hope that everyone is safe and well and having a great week. I am thankful to the Lord for the opportunity to post this message.
After this week, we will have one more message in the book of Daniel. After that, we will be having a series like we haven't had here on the blog before. I am looking forward to it.
One of the issues that has perplexed philosophers and theologians for centuries is the problem of evil. We know that there are terrible things that happen in this world. No one gets out of this life without some pain and heartache. Here is the problem. If God is all good and all powerful, why doesn't He stop evil things from occurring. If He can't, philosophers will say that this shows that God is not all powerful. If He chooses not to, philosophers will argue that this demonstrates that God is not all good.
I believe that free will and sin certainly enter into the explanation of why there is evil in the world. I don't believe that free will and sin provide an all encompassing answer to the dilemma.
We aren't going to solve the problem of evil in this short message. Volumes and volumes have been written on the subject. I do believe that Daniel 10 does provide us with some insight as to why there is so much evil and hurt in this world.
We have seen that Daniel was a man of prayer. After praying over a matter, Daniel had not received an answer from the Lord for several days. Then, weeks later, Daniel received an angelic visitation. The angel told Daniel that his prayer was heard immediately. In fact, God dispatched the angel right away with a message for Daniel.
There was a problem. A demonic spirit fought against the angel for 21 days preventing him from reaching Daniel. The angel said that he was only able to break free when, Michael the archangel came to his aid.
I believe based on this passage that one reason that there is evil in this world is that the spiritual forces of evil are trying to do everything they can to harm that that which is good. The battle between the forces of light and darkness continues to rage. And the battle will continue until that day when death and hell are thrown into the lake of fire and destroyed forever.
Right now in this world with everything bad that is happening, it seems like evil is taking the day. However, Daniel, Revelation and the teachings of Jesus let us know that good will ultimately triumph over evil.
I believe that all of us who follow the way of Jesus have a role to play in overcoming evil. We need to do as much good as we can in this world in order to help people and animals. We have the obligation as followers of Jesus to overcome evil with good. One way that starts is by sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others. We also help to overcome evil when we look to Jesus and do what He would do if He was here on Earth today.
Let's us all work to overcome evil with good knowing that the Lord is the Victor over every force that sets itself against God and the things of God. Amen
Prayer Requests And Other Matters
I am thankful that we did not get any bad storms this week. I do have one thing that I would like you to pray about. I am having trouble with a couple of my teeth. Please pray that this will go away. Thank you.
Coronavirus cases and fatalaties continue to climb in the United States. Pray for an end to this pandemic all over the world. Pray that people will wear masks and practice social distancing. Pray that leaders will heed the advice of doctors and scientists. Pray that the sick will recover.
Continue to pray for peace. Syria, Yemen, Libya and Afghanistan continue to need prayer.
For our prayer focus countries, let us pray for those who live in Kazakhstan and Chad. Pray that many will come to know Jesus.
Next week, Lord willing, we will wrap up our series in Daniel. I will post the verses on Monday. On Wednesday, I hope to post a review. May God bless you all. Amen.
After this week, we will have one more message in the book of Daniel. After that, we will be having a series like we haven't had here on the blog before. I am looking forward to it.
One of the issues that has perplexed philosophers and theologians for centuries is the problem of evil. We know that there are terrible things that happen in this world. No one gets out of this life without some pain and heartache. Here is the problem. If God is all good and all powerful, why doesn't He stop evil things from occurring. If He can't, philosophers will say that this shows that God is not all powerful. If He chooses not to, philosophers will argue that this demonstrates that God is not all good.
I believe that free will and sin certainly enter into the explanation of why there is evil in the world. I don't believe that free will and sin provide an all encompassing answer to the dilemma.
We aren't going to solve the problem of evil in this short message. Volumes and volumes have been written on the subject. I do believe that Daniel 10 does provide us with some insight as to why there is so much evil and hurt in this world.
We have seen that Daniel was a man of prayer. After praying over a matter, Daniel had not received an answer from the Lord for several days. Then, weeks later, Daniel received an angelic visitation. The angel told Daniel that his prayer was heard immediately. In fact, God dispatched the angel right away with a message for Daniel.
There was a problem. A demonic spirit fought against the angel for 21 days preventing him from reaching Daniel. The angel said that he was only able to break free when, Michael the archangel came to his aid.
I believe based on this passage that one reason that there is evil in this world is that the spiritual forces of evil are trying to do everything they can to harm that that which is good. The battle between the forces of light and darkness continues to rage. And the battle will continue until that day when death and hell are thrown into the lake of fire and destroyed forever.
Right now in this world with everything bad that is happening, it seems like evil is taking the day. However, Daniel, Revelation and the teachings of Jesus let us know that good will ultimately triumph over evil.
I believe that all of us who follow the way of Jesus have a role to play in overcoming evil. We need to do as much good as we can in this world in order to help people and animals. We have the obligation as followers of Jesus to overcome evil with good. One way that starts is by sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others. We also help to overcome evil when we look to Jesus and do what He would do if He was here on Earth today.
Let's us all work to overcome evil with good knowing that the Lord is the Victor over every force that sets itself against God and the things of God. Amen
Prayer Requests And Other Matters
I am thankful that we did not get any bad storms this week. I do have one thing that I would like you to pray about. I am having trouble with a couple of my teeth. Please pray that this will go away. Thank you.
Coronavirus cases and fatalaties continue to climb in the United States. Pray for an end to this pandemic all over the world. Pray that people will wear masks and practice social distancing. Pray that leaders will heed the advice of doctors and scientists. Pray that the sick will recover.
Continue to pray for peace. Syria, Yemen, Libya and Afghanistan continue to need prayer.
For our prayer focus countries, let us pray for those who live in Kazakhstan and Chad. Pray that many will come to know Jesus.
Next week, Lord willing, we will wrap up our series in Daniel. I will post the verses on Monday. On Wednesday, I hope to post a review. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Poem
Next week, I hope to return to reviews. This week I am posting a poem I wrote that was published in a literary journal called Carpe Laureate Diem. The poem was published in 1998.
Icy Road
Glazed, yet clear.
The forgotten byway
is fridgidly engulfed.
No speeding tread
crosses upon it
to make a path bare.
Alone it stretches,
depressed and forelorn.
It awaits the springtime thaw.
Icy Road
Glazed, yet clear.
The forgotten byway
is fridgidly engulfed.
No speeding tread
crosses upon it
to make a path bare.
Alone it stretches,
depressed and forelorn.
It awaits the springtime thaw.
Monday, July 20, 2020
Verses For The Week And Prayer Request
First of all, I would ask that you please pray that the storms forecast for my area tonight and tomorrow will not be bad or cause flooding. Thank you.
Verses:
Mark 11:25 -- "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
I John 1:9 -- "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
Verses:
Mark 11:25 -- "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
I John 1:9 -- "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
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