Tag: Reverend

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday October 09TH 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 night I was advised to be ready for Sundays October 16TH and 23RD. Those are the days that I’m filling-in for my Pastor by leading my church family and preaching full sermons. It was also on that night that I immediately began the process of finishing the final third of my next sermon – “Blessings & Benedictions”. I’m looking forward to sharing it with my brothers and sisters next Sunday morning. I’m not sure which direction I’ll go for my next sermon after that (in 2 weeks). I need to think about it and pray for God’s guidance.

And so as promised here on #SundayScripture I’ll be presenting the last sermon that I preached – “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 13 months ago. This appears to be another 8-part series on here (with each part less than a 5-minute read), so it should continue through the end of November.

Let’s get started with Part 1 of “Good & Evil”:

Today – I’m gonna speak of our Lord for the next 35 to 45 minutes. I’ll speak on His Good News – from Peter’s first letter. This is the continuation of my last sermon from 6 weeks ago.

So – from First Peter Chapter 3 – picking-up with Verse 8, and as the Bible says:

All of you (I say) all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tender-hearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead – pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and He will bless you for it. (3:8-9)

This is from the man formerly known as Simon – just an ordinary fisherman in Capernaum (kuh-PERR-nay-uhm) on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Simon was unsure and fearful at times. He was occasionally reckless, and he had quite the temper – sometimes even a foul mouth. Nevertheless – Jesus chose Peter to be one of His disciples – and an Apostle. He was 1 of the 12. Jesus asked Peter to help Him build His church.

So Peter wrote his letter some 1,960 years ago in Rome – during the early-‘60s – the first early-60s – A.D. His letter sounds so relevant today in 2022. If you believe – if you follow – if you truly love our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ as the King of Kings – then you must love everyone – believers and unbelievers. You see God loved you when you didn’t believe in Him. God loved you when you ignored Him. God loved you when you made derogatory remarks about Him – or His followers – or His creations. You gotta love everyone. And be humble. Don’t be arrogant. Be good. Don’t be evil. Bless others. Don’t insult others. Bless – to be blessed.

Paul to the Romans in Chapter 12 (14-16):

Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them. Pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all !

Sounds just like Christ’s own teachings to His disciples up on the mountainside – you know – the Sermon On The Mount.

So what you’re trying to tell me – God – is that – when – let me put this in layman’s terms – (mostly for me) – when someone is mean to me – I should be nice to them. I should not tell them what I think. I should not put them in their place. I should not give them what they deserve. Instead – I should give them – oh – something that You God taught me about – mercy. (Everyone say “mercy”.)

(End of Part 1)

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 October 02ND 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.

On the first Sunday of August 2022 I preached my sermon – “Honor & Respect” – to my church family. It’s based on 1 Peter 2:10-2:25. The following week here on #SundayScripture I began presenting it in its original written form. Here’s the 8TH and final part of this series:

You’ve heard of the word “shalom” before. My old pre-Internet Webster’s dictionary from some 40 years ago defines “shalom” as “a greeting or farewell among Jews”. That’s all it says. Luckily we have the Internet today. “Shalom” means peace, and harmony, and prosperity, and welfare, and tranquility. It means to be whole. He was beaten, so we could be whole. W-H-O-L-E. We could be whole in body. We could be whole in mind. We could be whole in relationships. Christ was pierced, crushed, and beaten – so that we could be whole and healthy in everything we do during our temporary stay here on this Earth.

Jesus gave His life for our sins – just as God our Father planned – in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. (Galatians 1:4)

Paul to the Philippians (2:9-11), and this will bring my message for you to a close. This is part of the Christ Hymn in the Bible:

Therefore – God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names – that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow – in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth. And every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord – to the glory of God the Father.

Our God has supreme authority and power. Our God is Almighty. On that day that we all eagerly await – all of creation will acknowledge the authority of Jesus Christ as Lord. God will bring everything together under the authority of Christ – everything in Heaven – and everything on Earth. Many will be saved forever, and they will live with Him forever. Many will not be saved. Do you know someone who may not be saved – because they do not yet believe in Him – or follow Him – or trust Him ?  Maybe you yourself are not sure all of the time.

Why wait until later – to be absolutely sure – that you are a believer – that you are a follower – that you are a truster – of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. Why wait until later ?  Later – may not come. Later – may be too late. Now is the time.

Maybe you believe with your mind, but do you believe with your heart ?  If you’re not sure then now is the time.

This is not just for non-believers, or new believers. This is for all believers. I’ve made this simple for you. All you have to do is say this – right where you are. Wherever you are – our God comes to you. You can say this with me – right now – if you wish. Just say:

Oh God. I’m a sinner. I’m sorry for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask that You forgive me for my sins. I believe that You died on the cross for my sins, and that you rose again so that I may live. I receive You Jesus as my Lord and as my Savior. From this moment on I want to believe in You. I want to follow You. I want to trust You. I want to serve You in the fellowship of Your church. I want to love You more than any one and more than any thing of this world. I belong to you Lord. Take me. I am yours. In Your loving name I pray this to You Lord. AMEN.

And that’s the last slide, and you can take a picture of that with your cell phone. Use your thumb and your index finger to zoom-in on it (modern technology). And here’s the important part – share that prayer – share it with someone you love – share it with someone who does not yet believe, follow, and trust our God. Share that prayer with someone who you want to see in Heaven.

That is how you “Honor & Respect” our King of Kings.

And may our God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Go in peace. Go in love. Let’s gather together again next Sunday – at 11. We’ll observe and celebrate Communion together.

(End of Part 8 / End of Sermon)

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 September 25TH 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 I preached my new sermon – “Good & Evil”. It’s the continuation of “Honor & Respect” – which I’ve been presenting here on #SundayScripture in its original written form. I have 2 more parts to go – this week and next week. Starting on Sunday October 09TH I’ll begin Part 1 of “Good & Evil”. But right now – here’s Part 7 of “Honor & Respect”:

So Isaiah 53 and its 12 verses was very influential to the leaders of the early church. Let’s review much of Isaiah 53 – starting with the 4TH verse.

And as the Bible says:

Yet it was our weaknesses He carried. It was our sorrows that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God – a punishment for His own sins !  But He was pierced for our rebellion – crushed for our sins. He was beaten, so we could be whole. He was whipped, so we could be healed. All of us – like sheep – have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on Him – the sins of us all.

He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet He never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers – He did not open His mouth. Unjustly condemned – He was led away. No one cared that He died without descendants – that His life was cut short in midstream. But He was struck down for the rebellion of My people. He had done no wrong, and had never deceived anyone. But He was buried like a criminal. He was put in a rich man’s grave.

But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush Him, and cause Him grief. Yet when His life is made an offering for sin – He will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in His hands. When He sees all that is accomplished by His anguish – He will be satisfied. And because of His experience – my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for He will bear all their sins.

I will give Him the honors of a victorious soldier – because He exposed Himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many, and (He) interceded for rebels.

AMEN !  YES INDEED. You think the prophet Isaiah knew what he was talking about back then – before Christ ?  I think so. By the way – who in here is a rebel ?  Oh – we’re all rebels in here. We’re all sinners. We’re trying to do better. But we’re not there yet. Our God was counted among the rebels. He interceded for the rebels.

I’m sure you’ve already figured this out. Isaiah Chapter 53 is a prophecy of the coming Messiah – the Christ. No wonder Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, and Peter refer to – and even quote Scripture from – Isaiah Chapter 53.

He took our sicknesses. He removed our diseases. When He took away our sins – He took our sicknesses. Sickness exists because of sin in this world. When Christ hung on the cross – we were physically healed. He fulfilled Scripture. What’s concealed in the Old – is revealed in the New. Christ is the Messiah. He didn’t suffer for anything He did. He suffered for everything we did.

(End of Part 7)

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 September 18TH 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.

This past Wednesday I got the word that I’ll be preaching God’s Word from the pulpit today. I’ll be preaching my sermon “Good & Evil”. It’s based on 1 Peter 3:8-4:8, and it’s the follow-up to “Honor & Respect”.

Last month I preached – “Honor & Respect” – to my church family. It’s based on 1 Peter 2:10-2:25. Here on #SundayScripture I’m presenting it in its original written form. Here’s Part 6 of this series:

Our God has placed each and every one of us here on this Earth and in His church so that our lives can have an impact on the people with whom we come into contact with. Some will run away from us, and they won’t look back. Some will ridicule us, or criticize us, or persecute us, or even harm us for living a godly life. Some will receive our message, and they will want to hear more from us about the God we know. They may come to know our God themselves – because of us. That’s another miracle. They will glorify God for our testimony and their salvation.

You have to be there for 100 – in order to reach that 1. In other words – you may testify about the God you know to 100 people, and only 1 of those 100 listens to you, and takes it in, and thinks about it, and wants to hear more from you. If you reach that 1, so that God can reach that 1 – then it’s all worth it. That’s another miracle.

In His kindness God called you to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while – He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation. All power to Him forever !  Amen. (1 Peter 5:10-11)

You see we have to deal with stuff here on this Earth – this temporary place that we call home. These sufferings – they appear endless, but can I tell you ? – they are not. They will be over – just like that, and then we will spend a glorious eternity with our God in Heaven. The Bible says that what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later (Romans 8:18). For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. (2 Corinthians 4:18b)

You know our God is pleased with us when we do what we know is good and right – even when people treat us unfairly, or disrespect us, or discriminate against us, or hurt us – mentally or physically.

Christ suffered for us. He died for us. This is how Chapter 2 of Peter’s first letter ends (22-25):

He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone.
He did not retaliate when He was insulted, nor threaten revenge when He suffered.
He left His case in the hands of God – who always judges fairly.
He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right.
By His wounds you are healed.

Ah – let me say that again:
By His wounds you are healed.

Once you were like sheep who wandered away.
But now you have turned to your Shepherd – the Guardian of your souls.

That’s from Peter’s letter to persecuted Christians who live in a hostile world. Sounds like us today. It also sounds very Old Testament-like. That’s because much of it is from the prophet Isaiah – from some 770 years earlier – before Peter.

In fact – let me be more specific. Much of that is based on Isaiah Chapter 53. Peter is not alone in quoting or referring to Scripture from Isaiah Chapter 53. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John do so in their respective Gospels. Luke also does so in Acts – which begins where his Gospel ends – with the ascension of Christ into Heaven. And Paul also refers to Isaiah 53 in his letter to the Romans.

(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