Sermon Notes & Videos
2021-08-13 | Deuteronomy 16-21 | The Justice League
Throughout human history, has there ever been a time when those in power DID NOT intend to manipulate and deceive the unsuspecting masses? First instigate division among the people and help them develop a goodly amount of contempt for one another. Then control them like puppets. Divide and conquer! There’s nothing new under the sun and, no surprise, it’s happening even now. Could there be more deception, more division?
The question I want you to ponder today is this; has this insidious problem ever been remedied by revealing the truth behind the curtain? Does exposing the corruption ever bring justice? Or, instead does it further the twisted deception? Simply observe what is happening. The louder the truth-tellers scream, the harder the deceivers dig in and the more bizarre their stories become. And if the truth is just too difficult to twist, censor it, or delete it, or just rewrite history altogether and publish a new narrative.
I don’t write this to depress you or make you afraid, quite the contrary. And I’m not saying there is no value in screaming the truth from the rooftops. People do need to hear the truth. What I am saying is this…there is a better remedy. The solution is spiritual! The Church must act like the Church. God’s righteous elect are the remedy, if we would just take our proper seat of authority! Let me paraphrase the prophetic Psalmist. God will not tolerate corrupt rulers who kill the innocent and make injustice legal forever. True justice will indeed return to the courts, governed by righteous men.
It’s time for the JUSTICE LEAGUE to arise. No, not a lineup of fictional superheroes. JUSTICE is righteous judgment. And a LEAGUE is a collection of people who collaborate, cooperate, align, and conspire for a particular purpose. Sure, keep shouting the truth for the few who will listen, but more importantly, become a people through whom Yahweh can administer HIS JUSTICE!
2021-08-06 | Deuteronomy 11-16 | Easy Entanglements
How tempted are you to become enmeshed with the things of the world? Do you feel yourself drawn to your old life? Are you still enticed by the pleasures of your past? We are warned throughout the Holy Scriptures that we should not even entertain the thoughts of our past idolatries because we can become so easily ensnared by them! Enticed and ensnared speak of desire; enmeshed and entangled paint the picture of a sticky spider web that so easily ensnares its prey.
Now, there are two possible ways you can guard yourself from becoming trapped in your past temptations. One is the self discipline approach. This involves your body and soul. Become strong and practice self-control and fight against those desires.
That’s not a terrible idea, but there is an even better way, the spirit-discipline approach! “Fix your eyes on Y’shua, the author and finisher of your faith!” This approach gives your spirit top billing. I’d like to encourage you to make your spiritual disciplines your first priority, without neglecting your self-discipline.
2021-07-30 | Deuteronomy 7-11 | Who, What, When, Where, How and Why?
I was reminded this week about an important concept. I’d like you to meditate on this idea. “The quality of your life is only as good as the quality of your questions!” I know that is a loaded statement that we can literally take in a thousand directions, but play along with me here. And let me add, “If you don’t like your life, ask better questions!” Moreover, to both of these provocative statements, might we affirm that having the correct answers to life’s all-important questions is as essential as the questions themselves! In other words, asking the right questions, but getting the answers wrong, is as detrimental as asking the wrong questions or asking no questions at all!
Let me give you a simple example. Can’t we all agree that asking where we will spend eternity is a critical question? Additional essential questions would be, “What determines where, and how do we know?” Getting these answers wrong is as damning as not asking them in the first place!
In our Scripture readings for today there are many answers. And I think we can safely infer that these are the questions: who, what, when, where, how, and why?
2021-07-23 | Deuteronomy 3-7 | The Next Generation
The 2021 Olympics have kicked off. On this world stage, Men and Women compete for medals that bring recognition to their sport, their Country, and themselves as athletes. In Track and Field, one type of event is the “relay race.” Runners must pass a baton to their teammate who continues the race. A clean exchange helps the next runner keep the momentum. Making all clean exchanges gives the team the best chance of winning. From time to time, a poor exchange will result in a dropped Baton. That team is instantly disqualified.
It is evident in Deuteronomy that Moses is passing the baton to Joshua, although it does not always appear to be a “clean exchange. Nevertheless, he Charges, Encourages and Strengthens Joshua as the one who would bring the Nation of Israel into the promised land. Each generation thereafter has had to pass the Baton to the next in a sort of spiritual relay race. Some exchanges have not been so clean and I can say we’ve even had a few “dropped batons” resulting in disqualifications. I think you can imagine what I mean.
We have a task at hand. We must run the race well and make a clean exchange as we pass the the baton to the Next Generation. May I paraphrase what Paul said on the matter… “All the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. I discipline myself and stay under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
Don’t drop the handoff! Don’t be disqualified!
2021-07-16 | Deuteronomy 1-3 | Enough Already!
Enough already? Or, enough already! Have you learned your lesson yet, or do you need to be reminded of Yahweh’s faithfulness —again? Do you still get fearful when your faith is tested, or do you quickly remember His faithfulness? As we enter the book of Deuteronomy, Moses takes a trip down memory lane. Listen people, Yahweh has made good on His word EVERY TIME, so, when He tells you to have no fear as you enter the Promised Land, you can trust Him. “He will go before you and fight for you.” Remember, “Yahweh carried you, as a man carries his son, everywhere you went, until you came to this place.” “He has blessed everything you’ve touched for the last forty years in the wilderness, and you have lacked nothing.” “Your eyes have seen all that Yahweh has done.” Do you think He will fail you now? And by the way, here’s a sneak peak; the whole thing was a test! “God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness to test what was in your heart, whether you would obey Him or not.”
In Y’shua, the Father makes the same promises to you. The prophetic patterns are striking! “Let not your heart be troubled; I go to prepare a place for you; where I am, there you may be also.” Yes, through various trials (the wilderness), your faith is tested, and in the end, you will have lacked nothing. Y’shua also uses the same heart test; “If you love Me, you’d obey Me!”
So, enough already? Or, enough already! It should be obvious; it’s enough already!
2021-07-09 | Numbers 30-36 | Dissipation or the Spirit
When you were saved into your new life, it was required (not recommended) that you leave your old life behind. Many times along their wilderness journey, Israel was given specific warnings about entering their new life, the Promised Land. Destroy every remnant of pagan worship, idolatry and sexual temptation, or IT WILL come back to haunt you. They were ordered to remember Egypt, from where they came, and to consider Canaan, where they were going. The mandate: “DO NOT do what those nations do in any way!”
For Christians, the mandate is the same! You must “no longer live the rest of your new life in the lusts of the flesh, but for the will of Yahweh. You have spent enough of your old life in doing the will of the Pagans—so, if after you have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Y’shua, you are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end will be worse for you than the beginning. It would have been better for you not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then turn away from God’s holy commandments.
Pick a life — go back to the same flood of dissipation or live by the Spirit!