Tag: God

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday June 19TH 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.

Happy Father’s Day my friends. Some don’t, but most countries around the world do celebrate Father’s Day today – on this 3RD Sunday of June. This is your day Dads. Enjoy it. Let your family pamper you today – this day that our Father in Heaven has made.

Last month here on #SundayScripture I began transcribing one of my recent sermons that I preached to my church family at the end of February – “Stones & Stumbles”. It’s the follow-up to “Holy & Redeemed” which I presented on here in December and January. “Stones & Stumbles” covers 1 Peter 1:23-2:9.

Here’s Part 5 of my sermon:

… Remember earlier in my message when I told you about the Book of Isaiah ? You know – the mini-Bible, and how each of its 66 chapters correlate in some way (or even in many ways) to the same book of the modern bible in numerical sequence.

So First Peter is the 60TH book of the Bible, so let’s go back to Isaiah Chapter 60. In Chapter 6 – the King James Version of the Bible says this:

… all they from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and incense, and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD.

And First Peter Chapter 2 Verse 9 – (again) the King James Version:

But ye are a chosen generation – a royal priesthood – an holy nation – a peculiar people – that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

“Shew forth the praises – of Him – of the LORD” – You won’t find that phrase anywhere else in the Bible. Just those two verses – First Peter (the 60TH book of the Bible) – and Isaiah Chapter 60.

Wait – it gets even better. Isaiah Chapter 60 starts with these 3 verses:

Arise Jerusalem ! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the LORD rises to shine on you. Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the LORD rises and appears over you. All nations will come to Your light. Mighty kings will come to see Your radiance.

Remember the end of First Peter Chapter 2 Verse 9 ?

… for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.

The theme of Isaiah Chapter 60 is the future glory of the holy city of Jerusalem, and that kind of describes much of the 60TH book of the Bible – First Peter.

And that’s my message for you today. Thank You for coming here today and listening to me. Thank You for allowing me to share God’s Good News with you. I hope that you’ll find the time each day or night to read and study the Bible on your own – both Old and New Testaments – in order to get closer to our God. His Word awaits you. Grab it – and grasp it – so that you may grow in the Lord.

Next #SundayScripture I’ll close-out this sermon with a few personal thoughts. I’ll also recap the 3 non-traditional sermons that I preached to my church family during the first 3 Sundays of May. Finally – I’ll give you a sneak-preview of my next sermon which serves as the sequel to this one. It too will be featured here on my blog once I get to preach it in public.

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 June 12TH 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.

Several weeks ago here on #SundayScripture I began transcribing one of my recent sermons that I preached to my church family at the end of February – “Stones & Stumbles”. It’s the follow-up to “Holy & Redeemed” which I presented on here in December and January. “Stones & Stumbles” covers 1 Peter 1:23-2:9.

Here’s Part 4 of my sermon:

… So back to Psalm 118:22:

The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.

And here’s the very next verse:

This is the LORD’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.

And I know that you know this verse:

This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

I say that every Sunday morning during Praise & Worship. I say it to myself every morning. And I’ve programmed Alexa (she’s a friend of Siri). I’ve programmed Alexa to say it to me every morning. You see 15½ years ago when my salvation started – it was the start of a new day. It was the start of a new life. It was the day the LORD had made. Our Lord – our cornerstone. He’s done great things in my life. He’ll continue to do great things. Our Lord is victorious. The day of His victory has already arrived. Its completion awaits another day. Until then – let us rejoice, and be glad – in His day of victory.

And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple. What’s more – you are His holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ – you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. As the Scriptures say – “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem – chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced.” (1 Peter 2:5-6)

Yes – you who trust Him recognize the honor God has given Him. But for those who reject Him – “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.” And “He is the stone that makes people stumble – the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God’s Word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. (1 Peter 2:7-8)

So we believers – You and I – God’s people – we are living stones. We are the spiritual temple that’s built on the foundation of Christ. We are heirs of God’s blessings. He lives within us, for we belong to Him.

You know on this journey God did not intend us to pray, and praise and worship Him, and celebrate Him – in isolation – in private – in secrecy. He wants to build us together – publicly – as His living stones in His spiritual temple. God chose us to carry out His mission to the world out there. He commands us to go and tell the world about Him.

First Peter Chapter 2 Verse 9:

You are a chosen people. You are royal priests – a holy nation – God’s very own possession. As a result – you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.

Allow me to unpack this verse – as a modern preacher would say.

The Apostle Peter looks back at Scripture (in other words – the Old Testament) – back when the Israelites were a holy people – who belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth – the LORD your God has chosen you to be His own special treasure. (That’s from Deuteronomy Chapter 7.)

Peter continues referring to Scripture – back when the Israelites were My own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth – for all the earth belongs to Me. And you will be My kingdom of priests – My holy nation. (That’s from Exodus Chapter 19 where the LORD called out to Moses from Mount Sinai and gave him instructions to announce to the Israelites.)

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