Opening Prayer: Lindsay Lagasse
Special Music: Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart
Sermon: Lindsay Lagasse
Closing Prayer: Carol Doudiken
Opening Prayer: Blessed Father, we bow before You as humble servants. Our praises be raised to You with our thanks. You walk with us hand in hand, carrying us when need be. Every breath is by Your grace alone, our lives by Your mercy. This week, as every one in the past, had both trials and joys. You've guided us and given us hope for a better tomorrow. As the End Time approaches, we need You and Your word even more. So, Lord, please guide my fingers and help those whom are reading to understand. Every word here today, we pray, has been typed by Your perfect fingers, for we know then that it will bless each and every one of us. In Christ's name we pray, AMEN.
Special Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjOUpp4vgpY
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Goodness, it feels good to be back to writing my sermons! Two weeks is two too many. Not to mention I also had to miss Service those two weeks, so I have been spiritually drained. But life back to normal--praise the Lord! I do hope this week has been as perfect for everyone else as it has been for me. I got reconnected with a friend that I have a rough recent history with, so the Lord has been working miracles in my life. I'm sure He has done so for everyone else, too. Praise His name!
So, I just started reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain the other day for English class. It's a fine book and I am thoroughly enjoying it (what I can understand, that is--not too keen on the southern accent). I tell you this because in it, Huck's guardian makes a fuss about his education. She, and a handful of others, claim that if Huck can't read or write, he won't make it to Heaven. They even made a pretty amazing (and entertaining) song about it for the Broadway musical, Big River. I was taken aback by this, wondering where on Earth they could come to that conclusion. Then my teacher, Ms. May (I adore that woman, just as a random side note), explains it is because if Huck can't read, then he can't read the Bible (not sure where the writing comes into picture). As much as I disagree with them saying he has no chance at Heaven without a proper education, I do realize the importance of Bible reading. Those who can not read should learn to read so as to study The Word, but I don't think they'll be put to eternal sleep if they fail to do so. What about those with special needs, who literally have the inability to comprehend written words? Will God punish them for what they can't control? Absolutely not! But I am not here defend a stance on that topic, I am here to tell the importance of reading the Bible. Not just forming the words on the page and taking them in, but the necessity to truly understand.
In the book of Matthew, when Jesus is wandering in the wilderness and then confronted and tempted by Satan, Christ can be heard saying "It is written" as a rebuttal every single time. Christ could have fallen to the Devil's temptations if He hadn't known a majority of the Bible. I am sure his mother and father, Mary and Joseph, taught Him a good deal, but a majority of what people learn comes from their own experience. That is how we come to remember things. So in order for Jesus to recall what is written so clearly and under so much pressure, He must have read it Himself. So, going to Bible study and Service to be taught is great, but one must be open to learning for themselves.
In 1Timothy 4:13, it is said to give heed to reading until He comes. What do you think He wishes us to read? Jurassic Park? Playboy Bunny? Sports Illustrated? Now, He doesn't clearly state 'the Bible', but sometimes we have to put good sense into the equation. The only book that Jesus would recommend would be the Bible, the word of His one true Father.
We can find a few good examples supporting the need for Bible study when we look at the world around us. There's the wild yak, there's a time in history I will explain in a moment, and then there's the Humpback whale, to name a few.
- The wild yak lives in the Himalayan mountains. The male wild yak can weigh up to 1000 kg (2200 lb); females are 1/3 that size. Its shoulder height can reach over 2 m (6.5'). There is guessed to be less than 10,000 mature individuals left in the world. Uncontrolled hunting is the main reason for the wild yak's decline, and it is still the most serious current threat. Its range has been reduced by more than half during this century. In addition, the wild yak has lost most of the best alpine meadow and steppe habitat to pastoralists. Problems are also caused by hybridization and competition with domestic yaks, as well as by disease transmitted by domestic yaks.
In the high mountains, yaks must eat hard-to-digest grasses and lichen. After eating for a while they regurgitate and chew their cud (partly digested food) to soften it. Then they swallow it again, continue digesting it, then regurgitate and chew their cud a second time. Finally, their completely chewed cud passes through three more stomachs. While the food digests, it ferments, producing a temperature of 104 degrees Fahrenheit in their stomach! That inside furnace helps keep yaks warm. As Jeremiah learned new things from God, he said, "Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts." In other words, Jeremiah thought about what God had told him and shared it with others. When one regularly read God's Word, you develop a hunger for it and want to read it more and more. As you digest His messages, your understanding becomes clearer, warming your life with His love. It's up to you to eat.
- Humpback whales live at the surface of the ocean, both in the open ocean and shallow coastline waters. When not migrating, they prefer shallow waters. They migrate from warm tropical waters where they breed and calve to arctic waters where they eat. There are 3 separate populations of humpbacks, those living in the North Pacific Ocean, those in the North Atlantic Ocean, and those roving the oceans of the Southern Hemisphere. They can get up to 72 tons in weight. Their heart alone can be up to 430 pounds!
As the humpback whale lunges towards its prey, its expandable mouth fills with water. The animal then forces the water through its baleen. The baleen is made of thick plates that look like wide ribs edged with stiff wire like hairs. As the water goes through the baleen, fish get caught in this strainer. The whale then wipes its enormous tongue across the baleen, then swallows the catch. In this way an adult manages to eat at least 1000 pounds a day. When humpbacks return to Hawaii for the winter, they no longer eat but simply find mates, breed, and bear the former years babies. Since they must live off fat they stored during their summer feast, those who neglect their hunting don't survive this time. David said, "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;" He knew that people must feed on spiritual food while it's available and store it in their memories. One must be sure to spend time with God each day. It's like gathering up strength for difficult times.
- Long ago people's homes were made of logs or sod and usually consisted of only one room. Within that space families worked and ate by firelight. Many homes had no windows, for glass was expensive and often broke during shipping. Even in the day time the area would look dark and gloomy. Longing for light, resourceful pioneers sometimes spread lard on butcher paper and used that to make a window. But it wasn't much good. Then someone noticed the rock-forming mineral called mica lying on the ground. Mica's smooth, shiny surface easily reflects sunlight. The pioneers learned that mica can easily be peeled into thin sheets that are quite clear. This is just what they needed! Soon they were using sheets of mica to make windows. The windows were called isinglass. Isinglass was also made out of fish air bladders. Sunlight is very important in people's lives. Without it, health deteriorates. People often refer to light in a spiritual sense, too. David wrote, "The LORD is my light and my salvation;" In order to receive light, though, one must first provide a window. The window is the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. As one opens their heart to their messages form God, He'll help them live up to the light that shines through.
It is so clear that without proper knowledge of the Word, we can not step forward to where God can meet us. He wants us to just take that one step, and then He'll meet us where we are at. But like the pioneers, we need to make that window so God can see us beckoning Him over with our open heart. We need the Bible in our lives. Enjoy a morning and/or evening Bible study each day. Make it a goal to read the Bible (and digest it) in one year. There are programs out there to help you do so (I use the program in the back of my NKJV Amazing Facts Prophecy Study Bible). Build that mica window like the pioneers. Reread and redigest it thoroughly like the yak does its food, and store it for the difficult times ahead of us like the whale does for the summer months. God speed, Brothers and Sisters.
Recourses used:
http://www.animalinfo.org/species/artiperi/bos_mutu.htm
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/species/Humpbackwhale.shtml
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/mica.htm
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Dear Father, I pray you forgive us when we act like spoiled children. I know Your desire is for us to have thankful hearts - contented hearts that want only one thing ... more of You. We pray with David, "The Lord is my Shepherd and I have everything I need."
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.
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