Tag: Reverend

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

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday June 05TH 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.

Today is my 55TH birthday, and I’ll celebrate it with my church family today in service and at Longhorn Steakhouse after service.

A couple of 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 3 of my sermon:

Like newborn babies – you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment – now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness. (1 Peter 2:2-3)

You know I’ve been saved for 15½ years. I remember that first year to year-and-a-half when I was spiritually a newborn Christian – at 39 and 40 years old – living a brand-new life that I had not previously known. I was running towards my Lord & Savior – running as fast as I could to get further and further away from the darkness that I had left behind. That was 2006 and 2007 for me.

And just like then – I still crave pure spiritual milk. What’s pure spiritual milk ?  Well I’m so glad you asked !  That’s God’s Word in the Bible. That’s reading and studying His Word on the pages of those 66 books of the Bible. That’s teaching what I’m learning from God’s Word. That’s preaching to the world God’s Good News. You see I preach here, and I also preach online – via social media. And we should all be teachers and preachers of God’s Good News using the skills that He has blessed us with.

You know if you’re not as excited about God’s plan for you as you were when you first became born again (whenever that was) – then you need to get excited. You need to crave – you need to cry out – for God and His Word.

But just as Pastor Bob preached on a couple of weeks ago. You can’t live – and thrive – on just milk alone. You also need the meat. You also need to mature.

You are coming to Christ – who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but He was chosen by God for great honor. (1 Peter 2:4)

Sounds like Psalm 118 Verse 22 right there – The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.

A cornerstone of a building sets its foundation. It gives the building its overall shape. It forms the base of the corner of the building – where two walls join together. It’s the most important of all of the stones. We depend on the cornerstone.

Isaiah Chapter 28 Verse 16. (This one’s not up there. I’ll just read it to you.):

Therefore – this is what the Sovereign LORD says:  “Look !  I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem – a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken.

So what are you trying to tell me – Chris ?  Here’s what I’m saying. The LORD Himself – is the cornerstone of Jerusalem – the true city of God. He is the foundation – to rely and depend on. He is firm and tested – to all who believe. If only the leaders and the people would turn to Him. And that applies to present-day time as well. If only the leaders and the people would turn to Christ – our cornerstone.

One of my favorite worship songs that I discovered – maybe 10 to 12 years ago – is “Cornerstone”. I heard it for the first time while visiting another church – a large church – I think near Fort Myers – while on vacation. It was one of the Praise & Worship songs during the start of service. I had never heard it before. But I started singing along immediately. And I got louder and louder. And I soon put my hands up. And I shed tears of joy for my “Cornerstone”:

That’s a great song right there. “Cornerstone”. Our God is our cornerstone. Christ alone – cornerstone. Weak made strong – in the Savior’s love. Through the storm. He is Lord. Lord of all.

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 May 29TH 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.

Last #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 2 of my sermon:

Isaiah has more types and shadows and associations and correlations with the New Testament than any other book of the Old Testament. Even today’s modern preachers who solely or mostly preach out of the New Testament often cite Isaiah from the Old Testament – sometimes without even realizing it. What’s concealed in the Old is revealed in the New.

But Isaiah really does more revealing than concealing. He tells us all about the God he knows. He told us all about the coming of the Messiah.

From Isaiah Chapter 40 – Verses 6 to 8:

A voice said – “Shout !” I asked – “What should I shout ?” “Shout that people are like the grass. Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field. The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the LORD. And so it is with people. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.”

That Scripture looks familiar. (Back to the previous slide – and there’s Peter – referring to the Scriptures – with the same words – as told by Isaiah – on this slide.)

The prophet Isaiah was preaching about a messenger – clearing the way through the wilderness for the LORD. We would later find out that the messenger – is John The Baptist – introduced in Matthew’s Gospel – the 40TH book of the Bible – and that’s from Isaiah 40. See what I mean ? More to come.

We are mortal. We – are – mortal. We are earthly. Our God is not. We are short-lived here on Earth. Our God is not. Our God is almighty. Our God is eternal. Our God’s plans never waver and always succeed. That’s our God. As the Bible says:

“It will happen as I have planned. It will be as I have decided. (Isaiah 14:24b)

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts” – says the LORD. “And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

That’s our God right there. That’s why I trust Him over everyone else. He knows the way. He is the way.

So jumping back to First Peter and the start of the 2ND chapter:

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. (1 Peter 2:1)

You know some modern preachers don’t like to preach on that verse right there. They will quietly skip over it, and preach on the other 24 verses of First Peter Chapter 2. I am not one of those modern preachers. I’m “old school”. I’m traditional. I believe that every verse in the Bible represents God’s voice. Every verse in the Bible is intentional. It is not there by accident. It is not filler material.

That’s one of those verses right there where the Bible tells us to not do something. Stop doing it ! And some people in the church (the church in general) don’t like to hear verses in the Bible that tell them to stop doing something. They don’t want to hear preachers telling them to stop doing something.

I know this is gonna sound hard to believe, but do you know that I am guilty of all of those things ? That’s right. Evil behavior – guilty. Deceit – guilty. Hypocrisy – guilty. Jealousy – guilty. Unkind speech – guilty. I’m probably the only one in here who’s guilty of all of these things – right ?

You know what ? I am forgiven. We are forgiven. We don’t intend to do those evil things, but we are mortal. We are earthly. When we realize that we’ve done those things – we must confess – we must pray – we must repent, so that we may be forgiven. And our God. He wipes our sins away. That is who He is.

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