Catching Up and Running Amok

I am trying to catch up on a dozen things and actually getting most of them.  I have successfully caught up on posting sermon audio for the last five weeks over at the church’s site.  I have an assignment in before the deadline in one of my two classes that are starting this week with another assignment hopefully getting in tonight ahead of schedule as well, and I am getting caught up on blogging and some comments as well.  In that spirit, I am posting the link for a paper from one of my recently completed classes that has been graded.  I am happy to report that I managed to get an A in the class and this paper received an excellent grade as well.  I would love for those who would like to offer comments or feedback on it to feel free and do so in the comments here.  The paper is on understanding the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of John.

Holy Spirit Paper for NBST 596

I also would ask for your prayers this week.  We are expecting my wife to have surgery within the next few days to remove her gall bladder.  It is funny how many people we know who have had this done as well, and the amount of encouragement she has received from our friends and family has been so helpful.  Thanks for your prayers to our Abba on her behalf.  Shalom.

Sunday Morning 10/25/09

We had a good service Sunday morning.  Be sure and keep listening at the end as I get surprised with a card in honor of Pastor Appreciation month.  I left it on so that folks who listen can hear how much I appreciate my church family.  We feel so loved and appreciated as well, and I know that is a precious gift from God.  Enjoy the sermon as well.  The audio is available by clicking the play button and the notes are below.  May God richly bless you in His Word.

The First and Last Ark

Sermon Notes for 10/25/09

 

1. The first ark was a really big boat – Genesis 6:14-15
   1. Even at this size, it would never have been able to hold everyone.
   2. God knew that most of that generation would reject Him
   3. Clean and unclean animals!!
      1. Genesis 7:1-3
      2. Why wait seven more days? – v. 4
2. A new covenant – Genesis 6:18
   1. 1. God’s new covenant doesn’t override His previous promises
      2. Proof against “global warming” or climate catastrophe is in God’s promise – Genesis 8:22
3. The Last Ark – Jesus Christ – 1 Peter 3:18-22
   1. We are saved by entering “into Him” – Romans 3:21-25
   2. The water itself doesn’t save – v. 20-21, you must be “in Christ” to pass through the water.

Sunday Morning 10/18/09

Here is the sermon audio and notes from the sermon on 10/18.  This sermon introduces a year of preaching in sync with the Torah reading cycles as found at First Fruits of Zion.  This is an exciting adventure in God’s Word as we join with many faithful believers around the world as well as with those in the nation of Israel, who we pray we come to know Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah.

You can listen along by clicking on the play button and the notes are available below as well.

The Aleph and the Tav

Sermon Notes for 10/18/09

1. In the beginning – Genesis 1:1
   1. God creates by speaking – John 1:1-3, Hebrews 1:1-2
   2. Light – Gen. 1:3; John 1:4-5; Hebrews 1:3
   3. God’s Word is full of His story from beginning to end
      1. Isaiah 46:9-10
2. A declared plan – Genesis 5
   1. 1. Adam = MankindSeth = Appointed to

Enos = feeble, frail, mortality

Cainan = a fixed dwelling place

Mahalaleel = God who is praised

Jared = Comes down, descend

Enoch = to instruct, train up

Methuselah = a man sent forth

Lamech = To be beaten, smitten, and tortured

Noah = To bring rest, a quiet peace

1. But why did God create?
   1. An eternal purpose – Colossians 1:13-16

   2. Creation is Christ’s clothing – John 1:14 and Psalm 102:25-28

   3. Christ is our clothing

      1. Romans 13:11-14
      2. Ephesians 4:17-32

      3. Colossians 3:1-10

Sunday Morning 10-11-09

This is the sermon audio for 10/11/09.  The sermon text is primarily Joshua 1:1-18 and there are no insert notes for this sermon.  You can listen along by clicking on the play button below.  May God richly bless you through His Word.

Sunday Morning 10/4/09

Here is the sermon from Sunday 10/4/09.  It is about the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths.  Notes are available below and you can listen to the sermon by clicking on the play button.  May God richly bless you through His Word.

Feast of Tabernacles

Sermon Notes for 10/4/09

 

1. The Feast of Tabernacles – also known as the Feast of Ingathering

   1. Leviticus 23:33-44

      1. This feast is for seven days with a Sabbath tacked on the end as an extra day

      2. It is a bookend for the Feast of Passover and closes out the festivals of the Lord

   2. God’s plan has always been to dwell or tabernacle with men

      1. Gen 3:8-9

      2. Revelation 21:1-4

2. A history of the feast of tabernacles

   1. Exodus 25:8-9

   2. John 1:14

   3. This feast is the best example of the truth that these feasts should have never stopped being celebrated by God’s people

      1. Zechariah 14:3-4;16-17

3. This feast is a reminder to us that earth and our bodies are temporary dwelling places.

   1. Isaiah 51:6

   2. 2 Corinthians 5:1

   3. 2 Peter 1:13-14

Sunday Morning 9/27/09

I am catching up on posting sermon audio this week.  This is the sermon preached just before the start of Yom Kippur, which is the focus of the sermon.  I pray that the Lord blesses you through His Word.  Sermon notes are below and you just need to press play to listen.

Yom Kippur

Sermon Notes for 9/27/09

 

1. Yom Kippur is also know as the Day of Atonement

   1. This is the day the scapegoat is chosen Lev. 16:6-10

   2. It is the most solemn day in the Jewish Year and is also know as “the fast” – Lev. 23:27-32

   3. It is a day for a fresh start – 2 Peter 3:13

   4. The Atonement was only temporary

   5. The Old Testament pointed to a more permanent atonement

      1. Psalm 103:8-12

      2. Micah 7:18-19

   6. Atonement cannot be made by a mere man

      1. 1 Samuel 2:24-25; Psalm 49:6-8,15

   7. Christ is the atonement – John 1:29, Gal. 3:13

      1. Hebrews 10:4-6

   8. On this day all Israelites wear white linen -Lev. 16:3-5

      1. Isaiah 1:18; Jeremiah 2:22

2. Jesus began His public ministry on Yom Kippur

   1. It is the only day that the year of Jubilee can be proclaimed – Leviticus 25:9-10

   2. Jesus had spent 40 days in the desert – Luke 4:1-2

   3. He came to the synagogue to preach when He returned – Luke 4:14-21

   4. The crowd tried to throw Him off a cliff – Lk. 4:28-30

3. This day has prophetic meaning as well

   1. Israel’s understanding is veiled – 2 Cor. 3:13-16

   2. The veil will be removed – Zechariah 12:10

   3. This will signal a move of God – Hosea 5:15-6:6

      1. Matthew 23:37-39

Restless Contentment

I like paradoxes. I am sure that makes me a little weird, but that doesn’t bother me really. I have all of this free time this week because I am not starting back to class until next Monday, so I thought I would get a lot of blogging done. I got the other computer fixed, so I have the means to get a lot of blogging done. I am trying to rest my poor right arm, which has been overworked typing and mousing at the computer, so I can understand why I haven’t got a lot of blogging done. I still have three weeks of sermons to post at the church site, and I haven’t done that either.

I haven’t made a lot of comments at my friends blogs either.  I am feeling somewhat averse to getting into any more “serious discussions” to contend for some minor point of the faith or major misunderstanding.  I have exhausted plenty of energy in a sporadic dialog with an atheist at another blog about evolution and it just reminds me yet again that so many can have the Truth staring right at them and still not see it.  Frankly it isn’t my job to make them see it either.  And I am learning that slowly but surely.
I have a couple of papers to post here, once they are graded of course. I don’t want them to show up on the web and make my professor think I plagiarized myself.
But why the title for this post? I think it best describes my current state of affairs. I am contented with what God is doing in my life, but I am restless as well. There are things I want to do, and things I want to see done around me in His Kingdom. But the time is not now it seems. Earlier tonight, my sister wrote a new post on her blog. I want to quote a little of it that is relevant to this feeling I have right now:

I am… where I am… because I am… where He has placed me.
I am… who I am… because I am… who He made me.
I am where I am in life… because I am needed… where I am.
I am not stuck, denied, lost or forgotten. God has not witheld, withdrawn, or forsaken.
I am forgiven, fulfilled, and loved.
God is not behind schedule in my life. He is certainly not early. I can be assured He is right on time.
These things will not change, because He will not change.
I am… where I am… because I am… where He has placed me.
And so are you!

I just wanted to thank my sister for her writing and for capturing so well what so many of us need to hear.  Amen.  I will be back to blogging in earnest sometime in the near future, but until then, shalom.

New Sermons coming soon

I apologize for the lag in sermon updates.  I have had a busy month and they have fallen off the radar.  The sermons were recorded and I will get them posted by the weekend hopefully.  Thanks for your patience.

A little encouragement

I was doing a little procrastinating while writing my paper tonight (I could call it a study break) and saw that my sister had posted this video on her blog.  This song is simply a wonderful reminder to me of the truth of God’s providence and redemption.  I pray that it encourages you in the same way that it has me.

P.S.  I apologize for my complete absence in the last week or two.  One of our computers here at the house died and I had to convert the laptop over for homeschooling, which has cut into the amount of time I can spend on the computer lately.  Most of my PC time gets devoted to schoolwork these days for that reason.  I plan to be back as soon as I get the part that I need to get the other PC back up and running.  God bless.