1-07-07
The frost is on the pumpkin, tonight, boys and girls. And next weekend the high is supposed to be 26 degrees with the low around 15. Hard to believe that the first flowers will be starting to bloom in a few weeks. We have had a pretty nice winter -- just a few cold, cold days. What I like about Oklahoma is that no matter the time of the year, you aren't very far from a really nice day. It can be cold and miserable for a couple of days and then surprise you with a beautiful sunshiny day. Like tomorrow!! It is supposed to be sunny and 60 degrees. Can't think of a better way to begin the work week than with sunshine.
We enjoyed church this morning, and food, fun, and fellowship this evening with the Tawneys, the Phelps, and Lorene MacKenzie. It was really a nice evening, with the girls and "Old Jer" going over the plans for the addition to "Grace" cabin. Jerry and Rikk will be here tomorrow to begin construction. I am excited about the expansion! We are including a huge, bay-type window that you can lie in and look out over the wheat field at the deer and turkeys, while you stay toasty and warm with wool blankets, next to your honey -- (oops) I will leave it there.
Elizabeth and I went for a nice horseback ride, yesterday, to the other side of the river. We rode out the fence line. The fence was up and in good shape. We still have one lonely cow on the East side of the Northfork. She just didn't want to cross the river. I bet she would now!! I went over the other day and she just came running up to me. I may try to coax her over as soon as I catch the river down enough. I kind of feel sorry for the crazy thing. Enough rambling. Here is the sermon for this morning --- I pray it blesses you.
SERMON
1-7-07
Mark 14:1-9
Mark 14
14:1 IT WAS now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the chief priests and the scribes were all the while seeking to arrest [Jesus] by secrecy and deceit and put [Him] to death,
2 For they kept saying, It must not be during the Feast, for fear that there might be a riot of the people.
3 And while He was in Bethany, [a guest] in the house of Simon the leper, as He was reclining [at table], a woman came with an alabaster jar of ointment ( perfume) of pure nard, very costly and precious; and she broke the jar and poured [the perfume] over His head.
4 But there were some who were moved with indignation and said to themselves, To what purpose was the ointment ( perfume) thus wasted?
5 For it was possible to have sold this [perfume] for more than 300 denarii [a laboring man's wages for a year] and to have given [the money] to the poor. And they censured and reproved her.
6 But Jesus said, Let her alone; why are you troubling her? She has done a good and beautiful thing to Me [praiseworthy and noble].
7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you will not always have Me. [Deut 15:11.]
8 She has done what she could; she came beforehand to anoint My body for the burial.
9 And surely I tell you, wherever the good news (the Gospel) is proclaimed in the entire world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.
AMP
1-7-07
Mark 14:1-9
Mark 14
14:1 IT WAS now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the chief priests and the scribes were all the while seeking to arrest [Jesus] by secrecy and deceit and put [Him] to death,
2 For they kept saying, It must not be during the Feast, for fear that there might be a riot of the people.
3 And while He was in Bethany, [a guest] in the house of Simon the leper, as He was reclining [at table], a woman came with an alabaster jar of ointment ( perfume) of pure nard, very costly and precious; and she broke the jar and poured [the perfume] over His head.
4 But there were some who were moved with indignation and said to themselves, To what purpose was the ointment ( perfume) thus wasted?
5 For it was possible to have sold this [perfume] for more than 300 denarii [a laboring man's wages for a year] and to have given [the money] to the poor. And they censured and reproved her.
6 But Jesus said, Let her alone; why are you troubling her? She has done a good and beautiful thing to Me [praiseworthy and noble].
7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you will not always have Me. [Deut 15:11.]
8 She has done what she could; she came beforehand to anoint My body for the burial.
9 And surely I tell you, wherever the good news (the Gospel) is proclaimed in the entire world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.
AMP
SHE HAS DONE WHAT SHE COULD --- WE AREN’T TOLD WHAT THE FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE WOMAN WAS, BUT TO GIVE A YEAR’S WAGES -- JUST TO BLESS SOMEONE (JESUS) IS A TESTIMONY OF A GREAT LOVE.
Luke 7:36-50 (SAME STORY MORE DETAILS)
36 A Sinful Woman Forgiven
Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat. 37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying,"This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."
40 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."
So he said, "Teacher, say it."
41 "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"
43 Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."
And He said to him, "You have rightly judged." 44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."
48 Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves,"Who is this who even forgives sins?"
50 Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."
NKJV
SCRIPTURE TELLS US WE ARE TO LOVE GOD LIKE THIS WOMAN DID
Matt 22:35-40
35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"
37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart , with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
NKJV
1 John CALLS US INTO ACCOUNT THAT OUR LOVE FOR GOD CANNOT BE WITH OUR LIPS ONLY, BUT WE MUST PUT OUR LOVE INTO ACTION BY LOVING THE BODY OF CHRIST.
1 John 4:20-21
20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
NKJV
I PRAY WE ARE NOT LIKE THE PHARISEES WHO LOVED GOD WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEARTS WERE FAR FROM HIM.
Matt 15:1-20
Matthew 15
15:1 Defilement Comes from Within
(Mark 7:1-23)
Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2 "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."
3 He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' 5 But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother,"Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God" — 6 then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
8 "These people draw near to Me with their mouth,And honor Me with their lips ,But their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me,Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"
10 When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand: 11 Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."
12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"
13 But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14 Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."
15 Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain this parable to us."
16 So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."
NKJV
JAMES ALSO COMMENTED ON THIS ISSUE
James 2:14-26
14 Faith Without Works Is Dead
(cf. Gen 22; Josh 2:1)
What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, "You have faith , and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe — and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
NKJV
It has been said that separating faith and works is like separating the heat and light from a candle. You know both are produced by the candle. You know they are not the same thing. You also know you cannot separate them.
n Robert C. Shannon
Words without deeds are empty, but deeds without words are dumb. It is stupid to set them against each other. It is, for example, stupid to say: "The one thing that matters is to go everywhere and preach the gospel; all other activities such as developing schools and hospitals and programmes for social action are at best merely auxiliary and at worst irrelevant." .. on the other hand, it is equally stupid to say: "Preaching is a waste of time. Forget it and get on with tackling the real human problems of poverty, injustice and oppression."
Lesslie Newbigin in Mission in Christ's Way. Christianity Today,
In Conspiracy of Kindness, Steve Sjogren (pronounced Show-gren) tells the true story of Joe Delaney and his eight-year-old son, Jared, who were playing catch in their backyard.
Jared asked, "Dad, is there a God?"
Joe replied that he went to church only a few times when he was a kid; he really had no idea.
Jared ran into the house. "I'll be right back!" he yelled.
Moments later he returned with a helium balloon from the circus, a pen, and an index card. "I'm going to send God an airmail message," Jared explained. "Dear God," wrote Jared, "if you are real, and you are there, send people who know you to Dad and me."
God, I hope you're watching, Joe thought, as they watched the balloon and message sail away.
Two days later, Joe and Jared pulled into a car wash sponsored by Sjogren's church. When Joe asked, "How much?" Sjogren answered, "It's free. No strings attached. We just want to show God's love in a practical way."
"Are you guys Christians, the kind of Christians who believe in God?" Joe asked.
Sjogren said, "Yes, we're that kind of Christians." From that encounter, Steve led Joe to faith in Christ. Many people may be only one act of kindness from meeting a true Christian.
Tom Lundeen
THE PAST WEEK -- MAYBE THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS GOD HAS PLACED A THOUGHT IN MY MIND -- IT GOES LIKE THIS: EVERY DAY I TRY TO THINK OF HOW I MIGHT “EXPRESS” MY LOVE FOR JESUS.
1. PAID FOR A FRIEND'S DRIVING TICKET SO HE COULD GET HIS LICENSE BACK
2. YESTERDAY --- GOING RIDING WITH ELIZABETH (AND BEING NICE)
3. LAST NIGHT GIVING ELIZABETH THE RIBEYE AND ME TAKING THE STRIP STEAK
A. DON’T LET THE RIGHT HAND KNOW WHAT THE LEFT HAND IS DOING
Matthew 15
15:1 Defilement Comes from Within
(Mark 7:1-23)
Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2 "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."
3 He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' 5 But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother,"Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God" — 6 then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
8 "These people draw near to Me with their mouth,And honor Me with their lips ,But their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me,Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"
10 When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand: 11 Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."
12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"
13 But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14 Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."
15 Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain this parable to us."
16 So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."
NKJV
JAMES ALSO COMMENTED ON THIS ISSUE
James 2:14-26
14 Faith Without Works Is Dead
(cf. Gen 22; Josh 2:1)
What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, "You have faith , and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe — and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
NKJV
It has been said that separating faith and works is like separating the heat and light from a candle. You know both are produced by the candle. You know they are not the same thing. You also know you cannot separate them.
n Robert C. Shannon
Words without deeds are empty, but deeds without words are dumb. It is stupid to set them against each other. It is, for example, stupid to say: "The one thing that matters is to go everywhere and preach the gospel; all other activities such as developing schools and hospitals and programmes for social action are at best merely auxiliary and at worst irrelevant." .. on the other hand, it is equally stupid to say: "Preaching is a waste of time. Forget it and get on with tackling the real human problems of poverty, injustice and oppression."
Lesslie Newbigin in Mission in Christ's Way. Christianity Today,
In Conspiracy of Kindness, Steve Sjogren (pronounced Show-gren) tells the true story of Joe Delaney and his eight-year-old son, Jared, who were playing catch in their backyard.
Jared asked, "Dad, is there a God?"
Joe replied that he went to church only a few times when he was a kid; he really had no idea.
Jared ran into the house. "I'll be right back!" he yelled.
Moments later he returned with a helium balloon from the circus, a pen, and an index card. "I'm going to send God an airmail message," Jared explained. "Dear God," wrote Jared, "if you are real, and you are there, send people who know you to Dad and me."
God, I hope you're watching, Joe thought, as they watched the balloon and message sail away.
Two days later, Joe and Jared pulled into a car wash sponsored by Sjogren's church. When Joe asked, "How much?" Sjogren answered, "It's free. No strings attached. We just want to show God's love in a practical way."
"Are you guys Christians, the kind of Christians who believe in God?" Joe asked.
Sjogren said, "Yes, we're that kind of Christians." From that encounter, Steve led Joe to faith in Christ. Many people may be only one act of kindness from meeting a true Christian.
Tom Lundeen
THE PAST WEEK -- MAYBE THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS GOD HAS PLACED A THOUGHT IN MY MIND -- IT GOES LIKE THIS: EVERY DAY I TRY TO THINK OF HOW I MIGHT “EXPRESS” MY LOVE FOR JESUS.
1. PAID FOR A FRIEND'S DRIVING TICKET SO HE COULD GET HIS LICENSE BACK
2. YESTERDAY --- GOING RIDING WITH ELIZABETH (AND BEING NICE)
3. LAST NIGHT GIVING ELIZABETH THE RIBEYE AND ME TAKING THE STRIP STEAK
A. DON’T LET THE RIGHT HAND KNOW WHAT THE LEFT HAND IS DOING
(I SHARED A FEW EXPRESSIONS OF MINE AS EXAMPLES BUT IT IS MORE INTIMATE AND MEANINGFUL IF YOU LEAVE THEM BETWEEN YOU AND JESUS)
B. Eph 6:5-8 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not with eyeservice , as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.
IF IT IS REALLY LOVE, IT HAS TO BE EXPRESSED -- IF YOU REALLY LOVE JESUS YOU JUST HAVE TO EXPRESS IT SOME WAY, SOME HOW -- THE SINNER LADY EXPRESSED HER LOVE BY POURING COSTLY PERFUME ON JESUS.
Mark 12:41-44
Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. 42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites , which make a quadrans. 43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."
NKJV
MAKE SURE YOUR LOVE GIFT FOR JESUS IS COSTLY!!!
Gen 1:1-4:7
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain , and said, "I have acquired a man from the LORD." 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
6 So the LORD said to Cain , "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."
NKJV
B. Eph 6:5-8 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not with eyeservice , as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.
IF IT IS REALLY LOVE, IT HAS TO BE EXPRESSED -- IF YOU REALLY LOVE JESUS YOU JUST HAVE TO EXPRESS IT SOME WAY, SOME HOW -- THE SINNER LADY EXPRESSED HER LOVE BY POURING COSTLY PERFUME ON JESUS.
Mark 12:41-44
Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. 42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites , which make a quadrans. 43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."
NKJV
MAKE SURE YOUR LOVE GIFT FOR JESUS IS COSTLY!!!
Gen 1:1-4:7
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain , and said, "I have acquired a man from the LORD." 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
6 So the LORD said to Cain , "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."
NKJV
CAIN NOT ONLY DIDN’T BRING THE RIGHT KIND OF OFFERRING BUT HE JUST BROUGHT “AN” OFFERING INSTEAD OF THE “BEST”
WHEN GOD MADE A SACRIFICE FOR YOUR SINS -- IT WAS THE BEST HE HAD -- “HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON” -- LET US NOT BE STINGY IN BRINGING OUR SACRIFICES TO THE LORD.
Our notion of sacrifice is the wringing out of us, something we don't want to give up, full of pain and agony and distress. The Biblical idea of sacrifice is that I give as a love-gift the very best thing I have.
Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)
God Bless You Wranglers
No comments:
Post a Comment