Praise God

Praise God

It is Thanksgiving Day here is Canada (where I am from), and I thought it would be beneficial to post some of my favourite verses on giving of thanks or praising God.

I had posted Psalm 100 in my Devotional on Sevens In Scripture (rewritten a couple of years later as Sevenfold Praise Part One and Sevenfold Praise Part Two), and have decided to include those observations here as well:

Psalms 100:1-5 A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.

Seven Ways to Praise God:

1. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

2. Serve the LORD with gladness:

3. come before His presence with singing.

4. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

5. and into His courts with praise:

6. be thankful unto Him,

7. and bless His name.

Seven Reasons to Praise God that will never change if you are saved (so you can always praise Him!):

1. Know ye that the LORD He is God:

2. it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves;

3. we are His people,

4. and the sheep of His pasture.

5. For the LORD is good;

6. His mercy is everlasting;

7. and His truth endureth to all generations.

Seven times the phrase "be glad and rejoice" is used in the Bible:

1) Psalms 9:2 I will be glad and rejoice in Thee: I will sing praise to Thy name, O thou most High.

2) Psalms 31:7 I will be glad and rejoice in Thy mercy: for Thou hast considered my trouble; Thou hast known my soul in adversities;

3) Song of Solomon 1:4 Draw me, we will run after Thee: the king hath brought me into His chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in Thee, we will remember Thy love more than wine: the upright love Thee.

4) Isaiah 25:9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.

5) Joel 2:21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.

6) Zephaniah 3:14-15 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, He hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.

7) Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.

Psalms 103:1-5 A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. (Hm, seven things here as well! - if you count being crowned with lovingkindness and crowned with tender mercies as two things.)

It Is Well With My Soul
(Lyrics: H.G. Spafford; Music: Philip P. Bliss)

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Chorus:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
"Even so," it is well with my soul.

Are you thankful for God's blessings today? Can you say, with the hymnwriter, that it is well with your soul?

October 11th, 2004
Jerry Bouey

Sowing The Wind And Reaping The Whirlwind

Sowing The Wind And Reaping The Whirlwind

Hosea 8:7-8  For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up. Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.

Wind – idea of vanity, nothing of substance

Whirlwind – destruction, judgment from God

Main sense: Wind – sowing a storm, playing with lightning (or a lightning rod), if you will.

Whirlwind – tempest, hurricane

Galatians 6:7-8  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Illustration: Deuteronomy 22:9  Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled.

Ecclesiastes 5:16  And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?

Proverbs 11:29  He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.

Proverbs 22:8  He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.

Negative sowing and reaping:

Hosea 10:13  Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.

Job 4:8  Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.

Positive sowing and reaping:

Hosea 10:11-12  And Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corn; but I passed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clods. Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

Jeremiah 4:3  For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

Matthew 13:22  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

Luke 8:12, 15  Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved… But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

James 3:18  And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

2 encouraging promises:

1) Even if/though we have previously sown sin, we can turn back to the Lord and sow righteousness – and that harvest will eventually grow if we persevere in our walks with the Lord.

Psalms 126:5-6  They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

John 4:35-36  Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

Proverbs 11:18  The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

2) Jesus can calm all the storms in our lives – even when caused by our sin. We need to repent (turn back to Him), make that area of our lives right, and keep our eyes on Jesus, not on the wind and the waves.

Mark 4:39  And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

The Tempest Of The Lord
(Psalm 107:23-32)

The tempest rages sudden,
Cruel winds prevail strong,
Though jagged lightning spears the sky,
The night seems dark and long.

The storm crashes down upon them,
Pounding waves overflow,
All thoughts of mercy fade away
To fear, and anguish below.

Mounting high to heaven then
To the depths, plunging down,
Troubled souls melting, at wits end,
No refuge to be found.

But then out from distressed hearts,
Comes a wretched, ragged cry,
The storm calms down, the waves are still,
The Lord of hosts draws nigh.

Chastening, then conviction,
Turning away from sin,
Praying and seeking forgiveness,
Restored to God again.

Peace floods the trembling soul,
The haven is in sight,
A rainbow pierces through the clouds,
And scatters darkest night.

Bless the Lord for His goodness,
Exalt Him for His grace,
Give Him thanks ye children of men,
Oh give Him love and praise.

Poem written August 11th, 2000
Preached February 17, 2011
Jerry Bouey

Behold - Your Saviour!

Behold - Your Saviour!

In the past, I have done devotions on the theme of Behold, A Fivefold Picture (of the Saviour), basically presenting the contrasts between the Gospels, using the five different Behold statements about the Saviour. Ie. Isaiah 42:1 states, "Behold my servant," and corresponds with the Gospel of Mark which presents Jesus as a servant.

Now at the Mission we are working our way through the Gospel of John, and I was covering part of John 19. I know there are five different statements about the Saviour using the word "Behold," that use the term in a different way than it is normally used (ie. Behold, ... Consider something - but these statements are commanding us to behold a Person - eg. Behold your King - no comma - ie. Take a long, deep look at your King).

For a refresher I rechecked to find behold is used 1326 times in 1275 verses - only eight verses are used differently covering these five statements:

Behold My Servant! - Isaiah 42:1 and Matthew 12:18. Corresponding to the Gospel of Mark.
Behold the Man! - John 19:5 and Zechariah 6:12. Luke presents Jesus as the perfect Man.
Behold your King! - John 19:14. Corresponding to the Gospel of Matthew.
Behold the Lamb of God! - John 1:29, 36. The overall theme of the Gospels, and the Bible as a whole.
Behold your God! - Isaiah 40:9. Corresponding to the Gospel of John.

5 statements about the Saviour in eight verses, each representing a different aspect of His character...

Today I presented Jesus going to the cross using these five statements.

1) Behold My Servant!

Isaiah 42:1-4 and Matthew 12:18-21 showing what our Saviour was like.
Matthew 20:28 how Jesus came to serve us by giving His life for us.
Isaiah 53:11 how the knowledge and reception of that Servant leads to salvation.
Here is the Saviour going to fulfill His ministry: Behold my Servant!

2) Behold The Man!

John 19:1-12 Recap Jesus' struggle in the Garden, capture by the guards, beatings, scourgings, crown of thorns beaten onto His head, etc.
Behold the Man! (this word carries the idea of weakness) - the Saviour at His weakest, then being crucified, thirsting - John 19:28 Behold the Man!

3) Behold Your King!

John 19:13-22 His authority is shown by commanding the crowd to let His disciples go - John 18:8
Mocking of Jesus by the purple kingly robe, crown of thorns, presented as the King of the Jews, sign above His head - John 19:19 (shows God's authority and overruling of His enemies' intents to show who Jesus was, even to those who refused the truth), His dying at His choice and command, not man's - John 19:30 (notice the "It is finished" - the price was paid for our sin, victory was won! Recall what God's Servant would do in Matthew 12:20). Behold Your King!

4) Behold The Lamb of God!

The Passover Lamb - perfect, young, beloved, killed and His blood shed for our salvation - see especially Exodus 12:3-7, notice "a lamb... the lamb... your lamb" - the young lamb they had grown to love now killed for them and the blood applied... On the cross, dying for our sins, shedding His blood - John 19:16-18 Has His blood been applied to your soul through faith in His sacrifice for you? Behold the Lamb of God!

More weakness - laid in the tomb for three days and nights, then...

5) Behold your God!

The Saviour has risen. He is alive! Behold the King of Kings; behold your God; behold your Saviour!

The Lord Jesus Christ has triumphed, He has risen forevermore.

Behold your God! Isaiah 40:9-10 John 20:24-28

April 14th, 2011
Jerry Bouey

Devotionals Preached At The Gospel Mission In 2011

Devotionals Preached At The Gospel Mission In 2011

This post is my memorial of all the devotionals I preached at meals times at the Kelowna Gospel Mission during my last seven months working there. Lord willing, I will add links to any of these that I have previously posted on any of my sites, and I will add any links in the future to any outlines or full studies that came from these notes.

If you are a preacher, I hope this list of studies is a challenge and encouragement to you in your service to the Lord Jesus Christ.

January:

• 3rd - 2 Samuel 6:12-23 David, The Ark Of God, And Michal
• 6th - 2 Samuel 9 David's Example & How We Should Respond To Our Enemies
• 10th - 2 Samuel 12 Hope For The Sinner/Backslider
• 13th - What's New With You?
• 14th - 1 Chronicles 11-12 Mighty Men Serving Their King
• 15th - 2 Samuel 13:19-29 The Destruction Of Sexual Abuse And God's Healing
• 17th - 2 Samuel 15:1-12 Absalom Wins The Heart Of The People
• 21st - 2 Samuel 18:1-18 The War With Absalom
• 22nd - 2 Samuel 19:1-14 David's Inconsolable Grief For The Death Of Rebellious Absalom (Contrasted With His Hope In The Death Of His Baby)
• 23rd - John 14 Hope In The Midst Of Our Grief
• 24th - 2 Samuel 15:23; John 18:1 Jesus Became A Man (To Identify With Us, Share Our Sorrows, Die For Our Sins)
• 28th - 2 Samuel 23:1-7 David's Last Words
• 30th - 2 Samuel 24 David's Sin And His Altar
• 31st - Intro To Hosea

February:

• 4th - Hosea 2 The Valley Of Trouble
• 6th - Hosea 3 God's Redeeming Love (Sermon by Clarence Sexton)
• 7th - Hosea 4:1, 6 No Truth, Mercy, Or Knowledge Of God
• 14th - Hosea 7 Return And Remember
• 17th - Hosea 7:7-8 Sow The Wind, Reap The Whirlwind
• 23rd - Hosea 11:8-11 I Loved Him (Sermon by Clarence Sexton)
• 26th - Hosea 14 Hope For Backsliders (Sermon by A. C. Dixon)
• 28th - Introduction To John

March:

• 4th - John 1:23-29 Behold The Lamb Of God
• 6th - John 2:1-11 Filling Our Empty Vessels
• 7th - John 2:12-25 Cleansing His Father's House
• 9th - John 3:16 The Gospel In A Nutshell
• 11th - John 4:27-42 Sowing The Gospel In Samaria
• 12th - Compound Names Of The Lord
• 14th - John 5:18, 21-30 Jesus, The Judge Of Man
• 17th - John 6:25-40 Sealed And Satisfied In Christ
• 19th - John 6:51-63 Partaking Of Jesus' Sacrifice By Faith
• 20th - John 7:25-44 Living Water Flowing Forth
• 21st - John 8:1-11 The Sinless Saviour And The Blind Stone Throwers
• 25th - John 8:59; 9:5, 11-38 Sight And Spiritual Light Given To A Blind Man
• 26th - John 10:1-10, 14, 27 I Am The Door
• 27th - John 10:22-42 My Father And My Sheep
• 28th - John 11:1-37 I Am The Resurrection And The Life
• 29th - John 11:45-12:3 The Line Being Drawn For Or Against Christ

April:

• 2nd - John 13:1 Jesus Loved Them To The End
• 3rd - John 14:2-14, 18-19 The Way To The Father's House
• 4th - John 14:22-31 The Peace That Jesus Gives
• 9th - John 17 Given By The Father To The Son (Part One)
• - John 17 Given By The Father To The Son (Part Two)
• 10th - John 17 Given By The Father To The Son (Part Three)
• 11th - John 18 Bold And Rash Peter
• 14th - John 19; 20:27-28 Behold - Your Saviour! (Fivefold Picture)
• 18th - Matthew 27 The Responses Of Those Around Christ's Cross
• 25th - John 20:1-10 The Disciple  Whom Jesus Loved (7 times referred to in John)
• 28th - Introduction To Genesis
• 29th - Genesis 1:6-8 Day Two (Creation Vs Evolution)
• - Genesis 1:9-13 Day Three (Built On A Solid Foundation)

May:

• 2nd - Genesis 1:26-31 Day Six (The Trinity Creates Man)
• 5th - Genesis 2:15-25 A Help Suitable For Adam
• 6th - Genesis 3:1 Background On Satan
• 7th - Genesis 3:1-13 Three Avenues Of Temptation
• 9th - Genesis 4:1-11 Contrast Between Cain And Abel
• 11th - Genesis 5 A Picture In Genesis Five
• 12th - Genesis 6:8-22 Preparing The Ark
• 13th - Genesis 7:17-8:1 God Remembered
• 14th - Genesis 8:1-12 God's Sovereignty/Preservation
• 15th - Genesis 8:20-9:17 The Rainbow The Sign Of God's Covenant
• 16th - Genesis 9:18-28 Slavery And Servanthood
• 21st - Genesis 15:1-21 Righteousness Credited To Abram's Account (And Ours) By Faith
• 23rd - Genesis 17:1-16 A Mature (Perfect) Walk With The Lord
• 29th - Genesis 21:9-21 (And Chapter 16) Hagar's Growing Faith
• 30th - Genesis 22 Abraham Offering Isaac

June:

• 5th - Genesis 25 Jacob, The Plain Man
• 6th - Genesis 26 Isaac, The Man Of Wells And Peace
• 8th - Genesis 27 A Family In Disarray (Learning From Their Mistakes)
• 13th - Genesis 30:25-43 God Blessing Jacob With Cattle
• 15th - Genesis 32 When The Lord Became A Wrestler (Chapter 5 of Wrestling With God by Greg Laurie)
• 16th - Genesis 32 Wrestling Until The Daybreak
• 20th - Genesis 37 The Romans 8:28 Of The Old Testament
• 23rd - Genesis 39 When Life Doesn't Go As You Planned Part One
• 24th - Genesis 41 When Life Doesn't Go As You Planned Part Two
• 25th - Genesis 42 When Life Doesn't Go As You Planned Part Three
• 27th - Genesis 43-44 Jesus, The Sinner's Surety
• 30th - Genesis 45 Israel's Faith Is Strengthened

July:

• 2nd - Genesis 47:13-31 Joseph Faithful In Much
• 4th - Genesis 49:1-28 Jacob's Last Words
• 8th - Romans Road: Romans 10:9-10, 13 Believing In Your Heart
• 9th - Romans Road: Romans 8:1, 35-39 Present Tense Salvation
• 10th - 1 Peter 1:1-2 Peter And The Strangers (Chapter 2 of Strengthen Thy Brethren by Clarence Sexton)
• 15th - 1 Peter 2:11-12 Living In Light Of Jesus' Soon Coming
• 16th Supper - 1 Peter 2:21-25 The Shepherd And Bishop Of Your Souls (Chapter 1 of Strengthen Thy Brethren Volume Two by Clarence Sexton)
• 17th - 1 Peter 3:1-6 Submitting To God's Authority In The Home
• 18th - 1 Peter 3:8-12
• 23rd Lunch - 1 Peter 5:10-11 The God Of...
• Supper - 1 Peter 5:12-14 The Value Of Friends
• 25th Lunch - Steps To Christian Growth
• Supper - 2 Peter 1:1-8 Precious And Growing Faith Part One

Devotions Preached At The Gospel Mission In 2010

I thought it might be profitable for me to start keeping track again of the devotionals I preach at the Gospel Mission for several reasons. I didn't think to do this until partway through the month of February, so I really can't remember the first few messages preached in January or what dates I covered my first few devotionals in February. The dates where I have two devotionals listed are days that I preached at both lunch and supper.

One of the main reasons I want to start keeping track again of the devotionals preached is so I can easily check the lists to find the last time I touched on a certain theme or passage of Scripture.

Sometimes I use devotionals that I receive in my emails (such as from Days Of Praise) that I have adapted; sometimes I re-use an older study of mine (which I may have modified); and other times I preach a brand new message. I will post those lists of devotionals preached here for those who may be interested, with links to those I have typed up (I will also add the link to ones I post later).

In September, the Mission Chaplain wanted to do something new, and we started a series on the book of James, where each staff member preaching devotionals would cover the next section of the book. This was to create a bit of continuity between most of the devotionals preached. It has been a challenge, but the renewed interest by the clients and the increased build up in Bible knowledge since then has been well worth it. In 2011, after James we tackled Ruth, two weeks on the theme of Thanksgiving, 1 Samuel, a week of staff sharing their testimonies, the first ten chapters of Proverbs, Old Testament passages prophecying about the coming Messiah and their fulfillment (a different approach to the Christmas story), then we started 2 Samuel.

February 2010:

- The Work of thy Hands (plus some comments on verses from Ps 68)
- Eye to Eye and Faith to Face
12th - Resting On The Promises
13th - The Song Of The Altar
15th - True Friendships (Jesus)
18th - First half of My Victory Over Depression
19th - Second half
21st - What God Wrote
27th - A Psalm Of Guidance (Psalm 25) (I covered the whole Psalm, but this linked study only contains the first part of the message preached)
28th - Continue

March 2010:

1st - Choices (1 Kings 19, Deut 30, Josh 25)
6th - Real Success (Phil 3; Jer 9:23-24)
7th - Psalm 19
- Six Questions In Romans 8:31-39
8th - The Story Of Four Gardens: The Garden Of Eden (first half)
9th - The Story Of Four Gardens: The Garden Of Eden (second half)
13th - Blessed Is
14th - The Story Of Four Gardens: The Garden Of Gethsemane (first half)
15th - The Story Of Four Gardens: The Garden Of Gethsemane (second half)
22nd - The Story Of Four Gardens: The Garden With The Empty Tomb
25th - Psalm 90
- Mustard Seeds And Mountains
29th - The Story Of Four Gardens: Paradise, The Garden Of Eternity

April 2010:

1st - This Is Jim Checking In (Emphasized the importance of having a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and the assurance of sins forgiven)
2nd - It's Friday But Sunday's Coming (Luke 22:52-53) (No, I don't believe in a good Friday, but I preached this on the Friday before Easter Sunday, and emphasized the theme of the dark time of trials coming before the dawn; ended with the statement: "Spiritually, it's Friday - but Sunday already came!")
- New Beginnings (What Jesus Saw, 8 times in John) also read A Brand New Start
5th - What God Cannot Do/What God Can Do, also read God Is
12th - Psalm 40
13th - I Am The Bread Of Life
16th - I Am The Good Shepherd
17th - Praying & Waiting For Answers
18th - The Shepherd's Rod And Staff
19th - I Am The Door
23rd - Compound Names Of The Lord
25th - I Am The Light Of The World
- Earthen Vessels
26th - My Hiding Place (Psalm 32)

May 2010:

1st - The Shadows Flee Away
2nd - I Am The Resurrection And The Life (Our Mom's Victory Through Faith)
3rd - I Am the Messiah (John 4)
9th - Who I Am
10th - The God Of...
24th - Disappointment - His Appointment (Summed up life of Joseph, life's disappointments - Romans 8:28; Genesis 50:20) 
31st - I Am The True Vine

June 2010:

5th - Shew Me Thy Glory
7th - True Worship 
12th - Behold (Intro & part of Behold My Servant)
13th - Behold My Servant
14th - Behold Your King
19th - Behold The Man
20th - God Our Heavenly Father
26th - 1 John 1:1-2:2
27th - Magazine Article From Let The Bible Speak (On the Gospel of John)
28th - Behold Your God Part One
- Behold Your God Part Two

July 2010:

4th - The Road Of Life (Paul Chappell devotional)
5th- God Is Nowhere/Now Here
12th - Gratefulness (Ten Lepers)
30th - Devotional by Paul Chappell on roadblocks to avoid in our spiritual walks
31st - Gideon

August 2010:

2nd - Is Your Name Written Down?
6th - Who Touched Me? (Sermon by Clarence Sexton on the touch of faith)
7th - Wrestling Until The Daybreak
8th - Sinking In The Mire
9th - What's Your Net Worth?
14th - Leaning On The Lord
15th - They Delivered Jesus Because Of Envy
21st - The Armour Of God Part One
23rd - The Armour Of God Part Two
28th - Eight Things God Requires Of Man (Micah 6:8) Part One
29th - 8 Things Part Two
30th - Judge Not (Matthew 7:1-5)

September 2010:

6th - James, Son Of Thunder (a character study on the wrong James, but still worth preaching on!)
9th - James 1:18-22
13th - James 2:13-20
18th - James 4:13-17
20th - James 5:14-20
26th - Ruth Recap and Overview
27th - Ruth 4:1-12 Kinsman Redeemer

October 2010:

1st - History of Thanksgiving (devotional by Paul Chappel)
2nd - Thankful For His Benefits (Psalm 103:1-5)
4th - Thank Him For The Thorns
9th - Praising The Lord Throughout The Day
10th - Thankful For The Love Of God
16th - 1 Samuel 3:11-21 The Necessity Of The Negative
17th - 1 Samuel 4:10-22 The Glory Of God (in Christ)
18th - 1 Samuel 6:1-16 Humour And Providence (recap chapter 5)
24th - 1 Samuel 11:1-11 Men of JabeshGilead/Covenant With A Serpent
25th - 1 Samuel 12:1-7, 14, 22-24 Israel's Spiritual Leadership & God's Covenant

November 2010:

1st - 1 Samuel 15:20-35 History Of The Amalekites/Saul's Insincere Confession Of Sin
3rd - 1 Samuel 17 Introduction to The Valley Of Elah (Strength)
6th - 1 Samuel 17:51-58; 18:1-16, 28-30 David's Valour & Growing Reputation
8th - 1 Samuel 18:1-4; 19; 20; 23:16 Jonathan's Friendship To David
11th - 1 Samuel 21:10-15 David, Mad Or Fearful?
15th - 1 Samuel 24 Saul In David's Hands
20th - 1 Samuel 29 The Lord Holding David Back From Sin 
- 1 Samuel 30 The Road To Jerusalem Goes Through Ziklag (Sermon by Clarence Sexton)
22nd - 2 Samuel 9 David And Mephibosheth
27th - Testimony Part One (Salvation and early Christian walk)
28th - Testimony Part Two (How I came to the Mission)
29th - Proverbs 1:1-7 Introduction And Comments

December 2010:

4th - Proverbs 3:25-35
5th - Proverbs 4:10-19
6th - Proverbs 5:1-14
12th - Proverbs 10:1-14
13th - The Angel's Announcement & Mary's Faith
19th - Preparing The Way For The Messiah (John The Baptist's Ministry And Message)
20th - The True Shepherd Vs False Shepherds (Ezekiel 34)
27th - Introduction To 2 Samuel
30th - 2 Samuel 3:12-18 Michal, A Snare To King David

First 156 Messages Preached At The Gospel Mission

First 156 Messages Preached At The Gospel Mission

When I submitted to the call to preach* and started preaching in 2004, I kept a list of the titles/themes and main passages preached at the Kelowna Gospel Mission. Friday was the day I was scheduled to come in each week and preach before the supper meal (sometimes I was also given the opportunity on Saturdays, though I was not scheduled on that day - more as a fill in if someone needed me to do it). When my computer crashed in fall 2006, I thought I had lost this list, so I stopped keeping track of the messages preached, except to date the studies if I later typed them up and developed them. Looking through an old file folder tonight, I found that original list among some files that were recovered from my harddrive.

*(Ie. as a regular part of my life. During my four years as a bus runner - the man that ran to the doors to pick up and drop off the children - I had preached about two or three times to the children on our Sunday School bus [the two lessons I remember are "Loaves and Fishes," and Leprosy, where I put my hand in a jar of water then into a bag of floor to give the kids a gross picture of leprosy - which they loved!]; and I had also led several Sunday services, including preaching short messages, at a Senior's home during my one semester in Bible College. For a few months in 1999, I also wrote devotionals for a friend to preach at the Mission while I also was volunteering there.)

I am posting this list here as a reminder to myself of the messages God laid on my heart in my first three years of preaching, as well as an encouragement to others who may be called to preach. Perhaps you are just a friend or visitor who is blessed by the studies and devotionals posted on this blog (as well as Eagle's Wings Ministries), and are curious to know what some of those earlier messages are. (For the record: I prefer to use the term messages when referring to the devotionals I preached at the Mission, because to me a sermon is something that is preached for 1/2 hour or more - something more developed and fleshed out, not something you covered in perhaps 10-15 minutes. Overall, my average preaching time would be about 7-10 minutes. Below, there are two 20 minute "sermons" [20 minutes was about the limit of their attention span] that I preached at a local Senior's home, and there was a message I preached at a church service last year at the Mission that went exactly 30 minutes - and that was My Seven Most Used Passages.)

Devotions preached at the Gospel Mission (*ones later turned into studies - some of these were expanded and contain more material than was originally preached; **ones that were already studies before being preached - some of these were shortened or highlighted due to their length):

2004:

February 6th - Lessons In The Valleys: The Valley Of Trouble (Hosea 2)*
13th - Lessons In The Valleys: The Valley Of The Shadow Of Death (Psalm 23:1-3)*
14th - Lessons In The Valleys: The Valley Of The Shadow Of Death (Psalm 23:4-6)
20th - The Prodigal Son (Luke 15)
27th - Leprosy And How It Pictures Sin (Leviticus 13-14)*

March 5th - The Importance Of The Word Of God: five comparisons (like a love letter, last will and testament, a biography/historical book, instruction manual, a diary).
12th - Jesus, The Friend Of Sinners (John 15:13)
19th - Living Water (John 4)
20th - Repentance
26th - Is Your Name Written Down?**

April 2nd - Foundation On The Solid Rock (Matthew 7:24-27)
9th - He Loved Them Unto The End (John 13:1)
16th - The Promises Of God* (Not sure what study I developed this into, as I have no study posted on my sites by that name)
23rd - The Value Of One (Luke 15 - one sheep, one coin, one lost son - plus read an excellent song by that title)
30th - The Christian's Race

May 7th - Forgiveness (John 8:1-11)
14th - Abraham On Mount Moriah (Genesis 22)
21st - Isaiah 53
28th - My Hiding Place (Psalm 32)*

June 4th - Who Touched Me? (The woman with the issue of blood, Luke 8)
11th - Two Cries From The Cross (Luke 23:34, 43)
18th - Father, Into Thy Hands (Luke 23:46) - The example of Jesus' relationship with our Heavenly (Abba) Father.
25th - The Storms Of Life (Matthew 14 and Psalm 107)

July 23rd - God Has Not Forgotten You (Isaiah 49:13-16 and Luke 12:6-7) (Also preached at the Senior's home - about a 20 minute message)
30th - Three Appointments*

August 6th - The Simplicity Of Salvation*
13th - Lessons In The Valleys: The Lily Of The Valleys (also preached at Senior's Home - about a 20 minute message)*
20th - My Strength*
27th - Laodicea: The Lukewarm Church (Revelation 3:14-22)*

September 3rd - The Father's House (John 14:1-6)
10th - Two Debtors (Luke 7:36-50)
17th - The Great Supper (Luke 14:16-24)
24th - The Great Change Salvation Brings (Zacchaeus and the maniac of Gadara)

October 1st - What Is The Purpose For Trials? (Amos 4:6-12 and Romans 8:28-29)
8th - The Reasons Why Jesus Came*
15th - Romans 8:28 (contrast between Adam Aulin's and Brian's stories - probably posted within my Daily Devotionals, though I cannot find the specific entry right now. Adam's testimony is the Foreward to my second poetry book)*
22nd - Present Tense Salvation (ie. how the Bible states we are saved, are forgiven, are sanctified, have already passed from death to life, etc.; also shared some of my testimony)
29th - The Story Of Three Gardens: The Garden Of Eden*

November 5th - The Story Of Three Gardens: The Garden Of Gethsemane*
19th - The Story Of Three Gardens: The Garden With The Empty Tomb (John 19:41)
26th - Abraham - Following, Not Knowing

December 17th - Have You Any Room For Jesus? (Luke 2)*
24th - Immanuel (God is with us - dealing with depression, and the victory in the assurance of knowing that God is always with us) and Hosanna (O Save Us Now poem)


2005:

January 7th - Forgiveness and New Mercies (Micah 7; Psalm 103; Lamentations 3; Philippians 3)
14th - Jacob's Ladder (Started a series on Lessons From The Life Of Jacob, preached an intro* and Jacob's vision in Genesis 28 - how it pictured salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ)
21st - Jacob Wrestling With God** (Some of this message made its way into Wrestling Until The Daybreak and certain aspects of it were used to start and end my second poetry book - see the title poem, The Seasons Of Your Pilgrimage - when studying the life of Jacob out in November 2004, one of the primary lessons the Lord impressed upon my heart was how walking with the Lord will change you forever, and this has been one of the most life-changing messages I have learned - consider Hebrews 11:21 in light of Genesis 32 - why was Jacob leaning on a staff? Not because he was old, but because his wrestling with God transformed him and affected him for the rest of his life!)
28th - What God Did In Jacob (Jer 29:11; Heb. 11:21; Eph. 2:10; Phil. 1:6 - dealt with how Genesis emphasized the name Jacob when he was carnal or unbelieving, but Israel when he was walking in faith - and how this increasingly became his name as he walked more with the Lord)

February 4th - Why Paul Was Not Ashamed*
11th - One More Night With The Frogs (Plagues of Egypt contrasted with sin in our lives - the title of this message came from Hugh Pyles sermon/book on the same name; though I did not copy his message, I did use his general theme. This was the first in a series of messages I did on the 10 Plagues Of Egypt and the Lord leading them out of bondage.)
18th - Separation between God's dealings with the Israelites and the Egyptians (contrast between the saved and lost as portrayed during the Plagues Of Egypt)
25th - The Passover and how it was a type of Christ (the final message on the Plagues Of Egypt, and God's greatest deliverance)

March 4th - The Rapture (read Rising In The Arms Of Love)
11th - What Is Man? (Series on Questions from Job)*
18th - If A Man Die, Will He Live Again? (Questions from Job)
25th - Six Things The Lord Opened**

April 1st - The Touch Of Faith (the woman with the issue of blood)*
8th - Paul's Sermon On Mar's Hill
15th - Heart Disease*
22nd - Jesus Only (Mount Of Transfiguration)
29th - Jonathan And David's Friendship

May 6th - A More Sure Word (2 Peter 1 - His comments on experience of the Mount of Transfiguration)
13th - All Thy Waves And Thy Billows (Jonah 2 & Psalms - Developed into a study on Psalm 42-43)*
20th - God Would, But They Wouldn't
27th - Devotion from Days Of Praise (Make It As Sure As You Can)

June 10th - Lessons In The Valleys: The Valley Of Strength (1 Samuel 17)*
11th - The Blood Of Jesus (Hebrews 12:22-24 and Genesis 4)
17th - What Jesus Takes Great Joy In*
18th - Matthew 6:24-34 (also read The Fifth Sparrow)
24th - All Our Tomorrows (Psalm 139:1-12)*
25th – The Lord Thinketh Upon Me (Psalm 139:13-18)*

July 1st - Jesus And Barabbas (How Jesus' substitution and dying in place of Barabbas pictures His substitution for the guilty sinner)
8th - My Personal Testimony (of salvation)*
9th - My Victory Over Depression*
15th - What Is Truth? (Pilate's question as the springboard to present the Bible as the source of all truth)
22nd - Lessons In The Valleys: The Valley Of Weeping (Psalm 84)

August 5th - When Life Doesn't Go As You Planned (Joseph's life)*
12th - The Lord Is Like An Eagle (Message written by someone else)
19th - What God Cannot Do (also read God Is)*
26th - Ye Must Be Born Again (conversation with Nicodemus)

September 2nd - The Crippled Man with No Man to Help Him (John 5)
9th - Jesus Washing His Disciples Feet (John 13)
16th - Jesus' 7 I Am statements
22nd - Shared some thoughts on John 11 and read Through This Valley (This was the day my Mom went home to Heaven - and these thoughts are what led to the Eulogy/Gospel message I was able to preach at her Memorial - Our Mom's Victory Through Faith)

October 7th - John 14 (Father's House, and the Comforter)
14th - The Fountain Of Living Waters*
21st - Does God Care? (Mark 35-39, and Revelation 4, about the rainbow around the throne)
22nd - Read excerpt from God's Abounding Love
29th - Paul's Defense Before Felix (Acts 24, with illustrations from A More Convenient Season)

November 4th - Paul's Defense Before Agrippa (Acts 25-26, with illustrations from Almost Persuaded)
11th - The Roman Guards - three types of responses (Matthew 27:27-38; John 19:31-34; Mark 15:37-39)
18th - What Is Written On Your Record?*
25th - Sinking In The Mire*

December 2 – It Is Well With My Soul (2 Kings 4; the story behind the hymn)*
16 - The Meaning Of Christmas*
30 – The God Of Second Chances (Abraham, Jonah, Peter, Mark)


2006:

January 6th – The Word Of God In These End Times (2 Tim. 3)
7th – Abba, Father (Presented the Gospel by using the three times the phrase, Abba Father is used, then recounted the story of the Prodigal Son from the perspective of God's desire to have close fellowship with us)*
14th – Abraham Offering Isaac (Genesis 22)*
21st – David and Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9)**
28th – The Bondservant (Exodus 21:2-6)

February 3rd – Seven Benefits of Faith in Romans 5:1-11* (Most of the time when preaching to the crowd at the Mission I do not see immediate fruit - but right after this message, a coworker asked the crowd if there was anyone who wanted this peace with God that was just preached about, and if so to raise their hands and pray with him to trust the Lord for salvation. Several people raised their hands, but one that I noticed was a friend of mine who before that point in time was "just not ready to receive Christ" - but now she trusted Him for salvation, shortly thereafter following in believer's baptism. While I do not put a lot of stock in a "sinner's prayer" - ie. a "repeat after me" prayer - in this case, I know the person truly did get saved. Pat is one of the most attentive listeners to the messages at the Mission, and there have been some definite changes in her life. I can only trust the Lord with those others who prayed, as He knows whether they understood what was preached and were truly repentant when they prayed.)
10th – Doing God’s Will & Having Our Needs Met (Matthew 6)
17th – Living Inside The Veil (Hebrews – Christ’s death opened the way to God - Used the first part of this message: Inside The Veil And Outside The Camp - Harry Ironside)
24th – Wake Up Calls For The Lost And Saved (Jonah 1 - How God used the trial of the storm to awaken the lost mariners' to their need for salvation, and to chasten Jonah and wake him up and bring him to repentance)

March 3rd – Why I Am An Ambassador For Christ (2 Corinthians 5)*
10th – The Passover Lamb
17th – The Rich Young Ruler & The 10 Commandments
18th – Running The Race Of The Christian Life*
31st – John 14 (This was, I think, the message I preached just before I left to go to my Dad's funeral - God gave me tremendous comfort to pass on to my family.)

April 7th – The Trial Of Your Faith (Job 23:8-10; 1 Peter 1:6-8; Rev. 3:18)
14th – Psalm 22
21st – Buy The Truth/What Is Truth?*
28th – The Prodigal Son (Tackled from the perspective of repentance and how it affected the Prodigal Son's life)*

May 5th – Hidden In The Cleft Of The Rock*
12th – The Lord Looseth The Prisoners (Ps. 146:7; Isaiah 61:1-2; 2 Chron. 33)* (Not sure what study I was using for this, unless it was something I never posted on my personal sites, but instead posted on a message board. I think in this message I touched down on how the Lord can free those from the bondage of their addictions.)
19th – Jesus, The Sinner's Surety (Genesis 43-44)*
26th – Mustard Seeds And Mountains*

June 2nd – Resting On The Promises*
9th – Earthen Vessels (John 9)
16th – A Song In The Night/In The Dark (Job 23:8-10 and 35:10, 14)
23rd – Psalm 63 (plus 55:6-7)
30th – The Armour Of God*

July 7th – The Apostles #1 - Simon the Zealot*
14th - The Apostles #2 - Bold And Rash Peter*
21st – The Apostles #3 - Thomas The Doubter*
28th – The Apostles #4 - Jesus Loved Them To The End*

August 4th – John 3:16 - The Gospel In A Nutshell*
11th – When The Wicked Prosper (Hab. 1 & Ps. 73)
18th – Discouragement (Ps. 61:1-4 & 62:5-8)
25th – No Man Cared For My Soul (Ps. 142 – not the study, just the Psalm)

September 1st – His Banner Over Me Was Love (Song Of Solomon 2:4)**
8th – Matthew 14 (If I remember correctly, I focussed on Jesus' reaction to the news of His cousin's death - that even in His grief He ministered to others)
15th – Seeking And Searching
23rd – Read Devotional on Love by Paul Chappel (This was my first or second day as staff at the Gospel Mission; therefore my preaching opportunities greatly increased from this point on.)

October 1st – Pharaoh's Four Proposals*
3rd – The Lord Uses Clean Vessels* (After this message, I had one of the men from the Mission's Recovery program come to me and tell me he wanted to be one of those clean vessels the Lord could use. Encouraging results!)
8th – The Danger of Being Unthankful (Romans 1:19-22; 2 Timothy 3:1-2; Psalm 105:1-7)
9th – Why God Gives Us Another Day (Acts 17:23-28; 14:17; Romans 8:32; 12:1)* (Unsure of what study I was using for this, unless it was also something posted in my Daily Devotionals or on a message board)
12th – Safety And Rest Only Found In The Ark (Gen. 7&8, quote by Spurgeon - how the Ark pictured our rest in Christ)
14th – John 3:16 (Read from Commentary by Ironside)
15th – Childlike Faith
16th – The Samaritan Woman (John 4)
17th – Leprosy And Jesus’ Compassion
21st – David and Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9)**
22nd – God’s Guidance (Psalm 25)
23rd – David And Jonathan’s Friendship
24th – Proverbs On Friendships
25th - ? (I believe I tackled a third message on the theme of Friendship, but not exactly sure where I took the message or what passages I used)
28th - Love Your Enemies** (A childhood friend who I had not seen for 20 years came and stayed at the Mission. I opened up my home to him, lent him a key, then came home from work to find my house ransacked and various items stolen by him to sell for drugs. God taught me a powerful lesson on choosing to love my enemies.)
30th - Owe Nothing But Love (Romans 13:8)
31st - Are You Burdened?

November 1st - Don’t Worry About Your Daily Needs (Jehovah-Jireh - using Genesis 22:8 and Romans 8:32 to show that if we trust God with our greatest need - ie. salvation - we can also trust Him to meet all our other needs)
2nd - The Presence Of The Lord (Dwelling in God's presence, both in this life and in Heaven)
3rd - How To Understand The Bible (Probably some basic Bible principles and promises to claim while studying God's Word, such as John 7:17; 8:31-32; and James 1:5)
7th – The Lord My Shepherd (Names Of God)
8th – Jehovah, I Am (Exodus 3:14 and John 8:58)

156 so far...

A little later in November, I preached two messages consecutively. One on Hell (what it contained, and how to be saved from it), then another on Heaven (what it contained, and how to be assured of going there when you die). As bleak as the message on Hell was, more people attentively listened to that one than the one of Heaven! I think people take Heaven for granted. One man had gone through some serious health issues that brought him to the mission. The message on Hell got his attention, and made him realize where he stood before God. A fews days later, I preached a message on Romans 10:1-13, and 17, and calling on the Lord for salvation (looking through some of my notes, though undated, this one seems to be the one this man referred to), and this man trusted the Lord to save him. That week he went back into the hospital. While I was visiting him, he related what I posted above about those two messages that got his attention and brought him to the Saviour. I gave him a couple of studies to strengthen his faith. Very shortly thereafter, he went to some kind of care home, and I have not seen him since. I don't know if I ever got his last name - and all this time later, I can't even remember his first name. I was hoping he would contact me from his new home - but he never did, and the hospital won't give that kind of information out. I trust he did get saved - I don't think he was faking the peace and joy that I saw on his face - and that even if I don't know where he is, the Lord does - and I will see him in Heaven too one day.