Category: God

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday November 13TH 2022, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

Last Sunday morning I led my church family in Communion, as I do once a month – usually on the first Sunday. This month Communion had a Thanksgiving theme to it. (Think Psalm 100.) Next #SundayScripture I plan to present it here in its entirety, as it will be the final Sunday before Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S.A.

As for this week I continue presenting my September 18TH 2022 sermon – “Good & Evil” – in its original written form. It’s based on 1 Peter 3:8-4:8, and it effectively wraps-up my First Peter message series which I began in 2021. Here’s Part 6:

Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you – they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember – it is better to suffer for doing good – if that is what God wants – than to suffer for doing wrong ! (1 Peter 3:16b-17)

Christ suffered for our sins – once for all time. He never sinned, but He died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but He was raised to life in the Spirit. (3:18)

Our God will come again – not to deal with our sins. He already did that. No. He’s coming back to bring salvation to all of us who are eagerly waiting for Him. Yes. I know we’ve been rescued and saved, and this salvation is glorious. But there’s an even greater salvation – an eternal salvation that’s waiting for us. Therefore:

You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy – their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols. (4:2-3)

And the younger me was guilty of all of those things. You know I often wonder what my life would’ve been like had I accepted God into my heart as a teenager, or in my 20s, or even in my early-30s. Where would I be today if I were saved and rescued – 40 years ago – instead of 16 years ago. You know it’s good to look back at where we’ve been, and how we got here with the grace and mercy of God. But the LORD says “Forget the former things. Do not dwell on the past. See – I am doing a new thing ! Now it springs up. Do you not perceive it ?” (Isaiah 43:18-19a NIV)

Our God is always doing a new thing for us. And we never know what it is until we see it. Sometimes we miss out on it – because we’re dwelling on something old. We must keep our eyes on God’s gifts along the way to that spectacular event at the end that changes everything forever !

Of course – your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. But remember that they will have to face God – who stands ready to judge everyone – both the living and the dead. That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead – so although they were destined to die like all people – they now live forever with God in the Spirit. (1 Peter 4:4-6)

(End of Part 6)

If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

All rights reserved (c) 2022 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday November 06TH 2022, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

In the days after I preached my sermon – “Give & Take” – to my brothers and sisters of my church family – I began writing my next sermon which I’ll be preaching in December. I was originally looking to preach on Obadiah. He was a prophet of Judah very soon after Babylon King Nebuchadnezzar and his army destroyed Jerusalem.

I couldn’t set a direction or a theme for that sermon, so God led me away from that idea, and I ended up creating, starting, and actually finishing my next sermon in less than 7 days on Titus on the island of Crete. That sermon is tentatively titled “Paul & Titus”, and I actually cover Paul’s entire letter to Titus (all 46 verses). I know that you can easily create 2, 3, or even 4 sermons from Titus. I elected to do it in 1.

Last Sunday morning I was asked about my availability for 2 Sundays in a row in December. I’m available to preach. I’ve always wanted to do a traditional Christmas sermon, so I’m planning to do that on the Sunday before Christmas. I’ll work on Obadiah for February 2023.

Here on #SundayScripture I continue presenting my September 18TH 2022 sermon – “Good & Evil” – in its original written form. It’s based on 1 Peter 3:8-4:8, and it effectively wraps-up my First Peter message series which I began in 2021. Here’s Part 5:

Now – who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good ? But even if you suffer for doing what is right – God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. (1 Peter 3:13-14)

Suffering is the overall theme of Peter’s first letter to the persecuted Christians. His point is that – as Christians – we will suffer for doing good. See we’re not doing what the world is doing. We’re not blending in with the world. We’re different. We’re counter-cultural. And the culture – the world – reacts with hostility. That’s mockery. That’s discrimination. That’s violence. That’s death in many places around the world – including right here in the U.S.A.

That’s a lot of evil to go around against Christians. You know our God suffered. Christ suffered on the cross – for us. He suffered, and then He was glorified. We suffer, and then – we will be glorified.

The Bible says that since we are His children – we are His heirs. We are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share His glory – we must also share His suffering. (Romans 8:17)

For the more we suffer for Christ – the more God will shower us with His comfort through Christ. (2 Corinthians 1:5)

I absolutely love this next verse from Peter’s first letter, and I often quote it in preaching – like right now:

You must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer – always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. (1 Peter 3:15-16a)

Now that part right there – about doing it in a gentle and respectful way. That’s actually the start of the 16TH verse of 1ST Peter Chapter 3 – in my favorite New Living Translation. But in most of the other popular translations of the Bible – it’s a continuation of the 15TH verse. These are the things that I look out for when I study the Bible and various popular translations of it. I’ve been told that I’m a Bible nerd. And I’m proud of that.

As Christians we must know what we believe in, and when someone asks us what we believe in – we must be ready to explain it – in a gentle and respectful way.

Other Bible translations use these words – with gentleness and respect – with gentleness and fear – with meekness and fear – with gentleness and reverence – in meekness and in reverence – with humility and fear. Give a kind and respectful answer – with modesty and fear – with courtesy and respect – modestly and cautiously.

In other words – if someone wants to know about the God that you know – then be ready to tell them, but don’t offend them. Don’t tell them what they’re doing wrong. Don’t tell them where they’re going. Tell them all about the God who loves you. Tell them all about the God who loves them. Tell them all about the God who’s waiting for them with open arms. Tell them all about the God who lifted you out of the pit of despair – out of the mud and the mire.

(End of Part 5)

If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

All rights reserved (c) 2022 Christopher M. Day, CountUp