Moments

Artwork by Doug Kallerson

From the Chamber of the South
Comes the Whirlwind

Florida is a marvelous state. Its summers are not any hotter than most other places, they just go on and on (and, at times, on) longer than other places. The more difficult part of the summer weather is the humidity, but even that isn’t terrible once you acclimate to it.

On the other hand, while people up north are freezing in long, snowy winters, we are on the beaches or living out our lives in marvelous temps with low humidity and constant sunshine. While their ground is unproductive and their trees are void of leaves, we are coconutting in still-lush surroundings.

We are almost free of the things that many other states must constantly dread – droughts, earthquakes, blizzards, and so on. However, there is one calamity that Floridians joke about in the wintertime and fear its coming during the summer: the hurricane.

But even hurricanes are isolated events, and they have been shown to serve their own purpose in the bigger scheme of things. Because of the incredible devastation they bring, we normally only see their negative effects, but that is looking at God’s world with a myopic view of things.

After every such major event, people leave their classrooms and laboratories and head out to where the hurricanes have hit to study the effects of what occurred on the ecosystem. Scientific findings have shown us that there is a positive effect on the surrounding environment. Where we see carnage, the system that God has set in place finds benefit from these giant whirling storms.

Learning these effects will help us to better understand God’s healing powers that arise from the very storms that bring destruction and death. For example, from PNAS.org, we read one benefit derived from hurricanes –

“Despite the destructive effect of hurricanes on mangrove forests in tropical and subtropical latitudes, hurricanes are major drivers controlling soil fertility gradients in the Florida Everglades mangroves, and therefore represent a positive influence in maintaining observed mangrove spatial distribution and productivity patterns. Hurricane-induced mineral inputs to near-coast mangroves in the Everglades enhance phosphorus (P) concentrations in soils, increase plant P uptake, promote soil elevation gains relative to sea level, and facilitate rapid forest recovery following disturbance. The response of mangroves to large-scale P fertilization from hurricanes may be an important adaptation of neotropical mangroves in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean region to withstand the impacts of both sea-level rise and P limitation.”

Text Verse: God thunders marvelously with His voice;
He does great things which we cannot comprehend.
⁶ For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’;
Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength.
⁷ He seals the hand of every man,
That all men may know His work.
⁸ The beasts go into dens,
And remain in their lairs.
⁹ From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind,
And cold from the scattering winds of the north.
¹⁰ By the breath of God ice is given,
And the broad waters are frozen.
¹¹ Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds;
He scatters His bright clouds.
¹² And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance,
That they may do whatever He commands them
On the face of the whole earth.
¹³ He causes it to come,
Whether for correction,
Or for His land,
Or for mercy. Job 37:5-13

God is aware of all things. Nothing happens apart from His knowledge, and nothing happens that is apart from His will. For those who understand this, even in our times of greatest trial, distress, sickness, or loss, that is a great and reassuring comfort. It is also something that we can cling to as we live out these lives in days that are uncertain, often confusing, and surely filled with trouble.

Mangroves are where so much life in the bays and coasts of Florida occur. Little creatures make their homes there, fish spawn in them, soil is captured by them, and new lands arise from the waters because of them.

Apparently, God knows when something is needed to help things like mangroves along and He has developed a means of providing that help on a massive scale. That is scary to humans who think we must somehow correct the natural cycle of things because we think we know better than He does.

We already know hurricanes are an expected danger. And yet, we still move onto the coastal islands and along the rivers and flood plains, hoping for the ideal spot to settle down, catch some fish, and show how “in control” of our surroundings we are. We can’t blame God for our choice of home. But that is often the voice that is heard just before, during, and after a hurricane. “Why, O God, did You allow this to happen?”

For my own part, and certainly for those who shared in last week’s events, I can honestly say that a lot of good came from what we might consider bad. Our house sure has a lot more sunshine coming down upon it now. The trees that might have died over the next few years, causing occasional interruptions in the regular routine of life all perished at one time.

Things that were old and no longer of use have been sorted out and eliminated from our lives. Lots of things that just needed to be done are all jammed into one quick event, and then life goes on. As a result, the mangroves have enough phosphorous to go wild for the next number of years, known to God, before He again sends another whirling monster upon our little haven by the Gulf of Mexico to rejuvenate things once again.

But something more than the surrounding natural effects upon the environment has occurred as well, hasn’t it? We have seen the better and worse sides of those we encountered. We have readjusted our priorities, at least temporarily. We have considered our end, at least for a span, so that we can contemplate what is most important. And, hopefully, we have brought the Lord God into more focus in relation to our lives.

Things such as these are indirect consequences of living through a large catastrophe. The wise will take heed and learn. The foolish will try to return to their vapid existence as quickly as possible without a moment of consideration concerning what might be learned and improved upon. The wicked will attempt to cheat others in their time of distress. And so on.

For those who have readjusted and determined to figure out what their lives mean in relation to both God and their eternal state before Him, there is the hope that they will do it right away before normality returns and life goes back to its regular, dull beat of daily tedium.

When that happens, the comfort of routine will steal away their current ponderings about what it all means. Hopefully, they will seek God while He is fresh on their minds and while He may be found. Or it may be that some now realize they need to get closer to the God they already know. That would be a nice bonus after the time of terror. “O God, I haven’t put you first lately. I want to correct that going into the future.”

If this is you, the only way you will really ever do this is by seeking Him out through His word.

God is.
God has revealed Himself through Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is revealed through the word of God.

One cannot intimately know God without knowing and understanding who Jesus Christ is, and we cannot know a thing about Jesus Christ without knowing the word that tells of Him. Therefore, if you are that person who wants to know God, or if you are that person who wants to readjust and get closer to God, you will need to pick up your Bible and start reading it.

And because the Bible is a big and, at times, complicated book, we will be here to help you to learn it and revel in its treasures all your days. This is the ultimate purpose of the Superior Word. Everything else we do is in hopes of meeting that main goal.

As an example, the weekly Prophecy Report we do that seemingly has little value beyond a weekly reminder of how bad things are in the world was started for one reason and for one reason only.

When Mike the Webguy suggested we do it over a decade ago, I told him, “No, I want to focus on the word. I want people in the sermons because they are based on the word.” His response was, “If you do these weekly reports, people will watch your channel and start watching your sermons.”

That was all I needed to hear. We started them that week and we have done them every week since. And he was right. I can’t tell you how many people now read their Bibles every day who first started with clicking on the ear-tickling Prophecy Reports.

The ultimate purpose of sharing the word of God was met, even through these reports. The irony is that many of them who started by watching the reports no longer do so. Instead, they watch the sermons and Bible studies. Mission accomplished!

If we will just look, great things are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us consider that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Never Alone in the Storm

After Ian passed, many of us here in Florida had a lot of clean-up to do. Some more than others, but I don’t think any of us was spared a bit of backache. Along with that, most had the inconvenience of either no power or no water or maybe both. For some south of us, power will not be restored for many months.

This is life. This is how it is, and it is inconvenient, but it is what we get in a fallen world. The ease of life is overthrown by the calamity of the moment, and we are left wondering when normal will return.

But what is normal anyway? As bad as we may currently have it, what we have – right now in our time of “deprivation” – is actually much more than billions around the world have on the best of their days. We should consider that and thank the Lord for each blessing we do have. With that in mind, I will tell you a story from my own interaction with Ian…

Having driven around Sarasota, I can attest that our property suffered about as much damage as any in town. No complaints, just stating how it is. While Hideko and I sat in the house and heard really big trees split in two and fall around us, and as large branches snapped and bounced off of the roof, I remember thinking, “It will take months to clean this all up.”

I couldn’t imagine how it would all get done. I even thought, “It’s the beginning of October. I will need to tell people I probably won’t be answering emails until as late as November.”

Really, that’s what I was thinking as another and then another tree fell over. Palms are heavy and hard to cut. Those alone would be backbreakers. And several fell over. That was just the start of the mess.

Despite that, when the storm passed and it was quiet enough to drive on the road safely (well, almost), I loaded up the truck and started winding my way around downed trees. First, I went to check on my uncle’s house. It looked ok, but with lots of branches down. They’ll be fine. They can get a crew to take care of things when they return to Florida.

Then I headed up to the mall I take care of. It is my responsibility and so it needed to be tended to before our own home. Several trees were down, one huge light pole was lying in the middle of the road, and lots of massive branches had to be cleared off the parking – both in front and out back.

The light pole was first. It was dangerous to have that in the road. It weighed about 500 pounds, so it took a tad out of me trying to move it, but eventually, the Davidson brothers who grew up with me on the island showed up and we got it out of the way.

As 7-11 is right next to the mall and that is my responsibility too, I got to work getting the small stuff out first, working from north to south. A strong north wind helped expedite that. From there, I removed all the branches in the parking lot and continued on the trees until I ran out of chain oil (don’t forget the chain oil, Charlie!).

While working there, a visit from Sergio helped lighten the morning mood. We were both glad the other was ok. It was by God’s grace that he still has my home address on his driver’s license. Otherwise, he would not have been allowed on the island. After he left, and with the mall at least safe, I headed back home to begin cleaning things up there.

Hideko was up and doing what she could and I started in with the chainsaw, trying to figure out how to organize absolute chaos into a manageable situation, starting at the road and working back the 250 feet to the bay, every inch of which was covered in so much damage that we had to cut a path just to take the dogs out without losing them.

We worked and we worked. After that, we worked some more. Hideko never stopped, from sun up to sun down, and did more physical work than any person I have ever seen – an eighty-five-pound dynamo. What I cut, she dragged, piling it up into a massive pile. This was Thursday.

At the end of the day, four friends from church came by, and we talked on the dock. That was a really special time for me. The property was safe and clear enough to finish the job in the morning. Each of us shared our stories and we were happy that all were ok. Praise God for His tender mercies.

Friday, Hideko had to go back to work and so I first went to the mall at about 6:00 AM and continued clearing the trees that were down but not any threat to public safety. Then, back home to hopefully get most of the big trees and other things I had left from the day before done.

By 5:00 PM Friday, a lot was done. I was out front cleaning the driveway so that Hideko could safely pull in when a silver truck pulled up by the road. I figured it was a line man or something. I was so tired, I couldn’t gather the strength to walk out and offer help; he was on his own.

It is for this point that everything I have said so far has been included. My work schedule is irrelevant, but I needed to lead you to understand how we can miss the important things in life over that which is actually unimportant.

I get myopic in relation to whatever I am doing. If it is sermon typing day, that is all I can think about. If it is Sunday afternoon, I focus on the sermon editing and nothing else. If I am cleaning up debris, that is all I can think about. But there are more than broken branches in life…

Rather than a line man being in the silver truck, a familiar face suddenly peered around the fence – Jim Dwyer. He was a welcome sight and I figured he was there to check up on things. I thought, “Thank God, I have no strength left for any more work. We can talk like the day before.” But no, after a short greeting, he said, “I’ve come to get the sermon for Sunday.”

I was so mentally exhausted that I didn’t even know what he was talking about. After him re-explaining it, I thought, “I don’t even know where it is!” I said, “They’ll have to do without it this week.” He said, “I can just get it off your computer. I’ll copy it and then send it out.”

The prospect of using one more brain cell to think almost made me collapse on the spot, but I said, “Let me finish this, and then we’ll get it.” I didn’t want Hideko to pull in and run over something and pop a tire. Suddenly, I remembered, we don’t have power.

I said to Jim, “They’ll have to do without it; there is no power.” He looked bummed to have come all that way just to be turned away, but I couldn’t think of anything we could do. So, he got in his truck and started to pull away. Just then, my brain fired one small synapse. I pounded on his truck and told him to wait.

I thought I could email it to him from my iPad because I always save sermons by emailing them to myself in case my computer crashes. Then, I realized, no internet, so that won’t work either. I stood there trying to come up with any solution at all so that his trip would not have been in vain.

Finally, I realized that Sergio has all my passwords. He could get the sermon. But I was so tired, I couldn’t remember his name. I think I said, “Jim has access to everything.” Something wasn’t right with that. “The… well, the… Sergio! Sergio can access my things. Email him and have him search for ‘Sermons and devotionals.’ Then he can send you what you need.”

Jim asked, “Is it the most current revision?” I thought, “What is a revision? This guy is just making that up.” True story. Then I remembered what a revision is and said, “Probably not, but it will have to do.”

He seemed happy with that and off he went. Had he asked one more question, I may have had a brain aneurism and died on the spot. I walked to the shower and then that was the end of the day. Hideko and I ate out of cans in the dark and went to bed.

The entire point is that Jim felt it was important enough to get the word into people’s hands that he drove 15 miles through traffic lights that didn’t work and down the island street that was still filled with trees to simply get that sermon for those in the online church to have for Sunday.

But he said something else to me that I could not get out of my head until today. He could see how tired I was and he said, “You know, so many people are praying for you right now.” I was too tired to cry, but that alone changed my perspective on everything else that I did and have done for these past days.

I was so overwhelmed with the responsibilities for the mall, the house, and the church that I never thought about people praying for our strength, knowing that their prayers included Hideko, and – indeed – everyone here at the Superior Word.

People around the world were praying for us as we were facing uncertainty before the storm and uncertainty after it passed. What a thought to consider. And there was more…

To worship and to serve the Lord our God
Eternal fellowship in a land of Delight
On hallowed soil our feet will trod
And the Lord shall always be in our sight

In His light, to walk and also to praise
The Lamb of God who was slain
Illuminated by His ever-glowing rays
No tears, no fear, no sorrow, no pain

Come to the waters and be restored
Drink and receive Grace from the Lord

II. Tender Mercies

While I tell you about the events in this section, I don’t want to use any names, not because I don’t want to recognize people, but because I don’t want to single anyone out and pass over others who also do so much throughout the year to bless the church.

In other words, if I mention anyone, I would have to mention everyone because everyone is a part of this group, whether in Japan or in Arizona, Sarasota or Michigan. If you are a part of this church, you are included in this section by name, by deed, and through hearing this sermon today. So, thank you.

On Saturday, I did something I have not done without a reason for many years. I did not go to the projects. There was still a lot of work to do at the house and – if the power came back on – there would be a lot to do to be ready for church.

Normally, I only miss going to the projects if there is a funeral, a wedding, or a baptism on Saturday. But this clean-up needed to be done and I knew others would be at the projects to fill in. So I got back to work, finally finishing at about 1:00 PM. Amazingly, the power came back on within about twenty minutes of the clean-up being done.

Opening up the emails, there were 214 to sort through, a large number of which were people telling me they were praying for us. I answered each one with a short note so that they would know we were ok and to thank them. Along with that, there were many people who offered to help in any way they could, including financial needs for us or those in the church.

I tried to reassure folks that we were ok, and that I would check with church members to see if there were other needs. The only one I became aware of is that Claudia had some damage to her house, but she was unable to come to church last Sunday. She is being sorted out, and her place will be repaired.

On Sunday, a few people still did not have power, but they still came to church. I was actually amazed that more than a handful of people would come, but people at the Superior Word seem to understand the priority of church. For that, I am grateful. It is a lifeline at all times. How much more of a lifeline when times are difficult?

One tender mercy I saw is that Jay and Joan, who lost power for 11 days after Hurricane Irma, the last hurricane in our area, never lost power during this one. What a blessing for them! We really felt for them during Irma as we all sat in nice air-conditioned houses J.

Another tender mercy of our Lord is that—maybe for the first time in the history of the universe—the last days of September and the first days of October have actually been cool and not so humid. As I sit typing on Monday morning, it is 66 degrees F out.

Instead of suffering through heat, humidity, and exhaustion caused by them, we have been able to put things back together in fall-like weather. The Lord knows how grateful we all are for that.

Also, on Sunday, I learned of another expression of real compassion, not only in prayers and in financial help by those who offered it, but in genuine human care when two guys who attend online drove from Illinois and Maryland just to help out with the clean-up at the house. They brought a generator, chainsaws, and other things. Who could imagine such an offer of mercy!

Someone brought in a cake for the October birthday people, someone brought in an entire bag of avocados, while others brought in love and cheer, hugs and blessings. Every person can do something in a church to bless others, even it if is to pray for those who have needs.

And the sharing in thanks and help does not need to end at the church. We talk about who the heroes of society are. During times of war, we talk about the soldiers who fight to keep those of the nation free.

For those who respect the right to life, religion, and peaceful existence, we may have a civilian leader that is a hero to those causes. When things are prosperous and all is going well, we make false heroes, even idols, of those who are not heroes. Movie stars and sports figures become our heroes when all they are doing is serving themselves and profiting off the masses. Those are not, nor are they ever, heroes.

But think about your own situation right now. Do you have electricity at your home? In Sarasota, people have given up nights of sleep to work restoring power to the homes and businesses in Florida that do not yet have power.

Water, sewer, electric, traffic lights, and so on, all have to be restored. In the past few days, some of these utility workers have had people come up to them and yell at them for not working fast enough.

Instead, they should be thanking them, bringing them something to eat, and encouraging them. How is it that we can’t consider that they are tired, frustrated, and deprived of their own free time and sleep while doing their best to serve others? They may not all be good people, but they are doing a good service. Consider that as you head out to a store or restaurant that is open this week because of their efforts.

As for the church itself, I often get emails about the sermons, the weekly reports, the commentaries, and other things that have been put out. They include compliments and praises that are wholly undeserved. I do my job because it is the job I do.

But these things would not be if someone hadn’t first filmed the sermons, set up a YouTube channel, and posted them there. I didn’t do that and I am unqualified to figure out those things now. Someone, years ago, set up the website for the church.

He has maintained it for eleven years, checking on it every single day, he QC’s everything I type, he converts the sermons into podcasts, and he won’t even tell me his real name or even give me his address so I can send him a thank you in the mail. None of those things would exist if it wasn’t for him.

Others have developed other websites, podcasts, or YouTube channels to promote the church. They don’t ask for anything except permission to do what they do. Some quality check my pitiful grammar and spelling for the daily commentaries and weekly sermons.

One person does a unique painting for every sermon we have done since Exodus. Some help out monetarily, some come early and help clean, others bring food for the church to eat, while others stay after church or Bible class and clean up. Some have prayer groups or fellowship groups that are specifically linked to this church. Some send money to buy pizza or treats for class or church.

Of all of these things, and so many more that I haven’t mentioned, I have never asked for any of those things to be done. Rather, they have asked to do them, all because they love the word, they love the church, and they want to be a part of it. This is the meaning of tender mercies.

I am fortunate if I can find my way to the door or figure out how to turn on a computer. None of these things that we all take for granted would be happening if these wonderful people didn’t come together and want to be a part of what the Superior Word is doing.

I am just grateful that the word is being looked at, that it is being cherished, that it is being read, and that it is being shared. An example of the benefit of people’s help came to my inbox on Monday morning before I started typing these words.

Some months ago, a man in Pakistan emailed me with questions about Jesus and the Trinity. I responded and continue to respond by answering his questions. He and his wife accepted the Lord Jesus and began to email about their faith. He asked for a Bible. A friend in the UK sent him one. He then asked for some money for local Urdu Bibles.

That was sent. When he got the money, he sent us a picture of them holding their Bibles. He told us he wanted to tell others about Jesus, but it is dangerous in Pakistan to do so. There was an internal conflict going on in him concerning what to do. But the witness of the word won out.

He started to tell his neighbors. Some accepted Jesus; more Bibles needed. He then got the idea to invite people to a screening of the Jesus movie. But he would need money for that. He would have to rent a TV, a generator, buy the movie, and so on. Would we help?

I could have just sent the money, but it was Thursday and Sunday was just around the corner. Maybe people would want to participate. I would not want to deprive others of this honor. So on Sunday morning, I asked during the livestream.

I told the people that we would only accept money for that. The first people to respond making up the needed amount would be accepted and anyone else I would tell them not to send anything as the need was met. I didn’t know it at the time, but someone sitting in the church sent the money while I was still speaking.

So when I got home, I had to tell all the people who offered to provide the needed funds that the need had already been met. However, the Lord already knew they had offered, and so their offer, even if not accepted, still counts for what happened. I will read you from the email my now-friend from Pakistan sent, including a picture. All names have been changed –

——————————-

Regards to you in the name of Jesus Christ,

First of all, my wife [Ruth] and I are very excited to share with you that the recent meeting called “Life Outreach” went very well by the Grace of God. We give praise & honor to God for all the success by His help. We want to thank Brother and Sister [Kermit and Frog] for their support to which made this possible to do the meeting successful. We also want to thank you Brother [Abbott] and Brother [Costello] for your precious prayers for us. We are always encouraged by your love and prayers in Christ.

We share things about the Life Outreach as below:

–          I led this meeting by praying the prayer of thanks in beginning
–          We invited about 40 people to attend this meeting
–          We found 38 people came to attend it
–          They were all very happy and enjoyed the meeting
–          We showed a part of Jesus movie about “Creation”
–          This led the people to learn about how God created the World
–          Then we showed another part of the movie about Jesus’ death on Cross
–          People were touched by the death of Christ
–          We found 3 people were weeping when they saw Jesus hanged on Cross
–          7 people came to believe in Jesus as their personal Lord & Savior
–          There were some others who are near to accept Jesus and they need more prayers
–          We had very nice time of prayers at the end of the meeting
–          We also had wonderful time of taking tea and refreshment at the end of this meeting
–          This remained very good time of fellowship to each other

We found some people want to come to attend this meeting again and they want to bring their family friends to enjoy to learn about God, His creation and His Salvation plan. This is very helpful to people understand the whole picture of God’s plan for human.

I had some people who raised questions to learn more at the end of the meeting, and there was good discussion with them.

A man from Hindu background told me that he only believed in Jesus as prophet and never knew that He is son of God. He came to believe in Him and committed his promise to follow true and only one God.

This was very encouraged to us by faith and we rejoiced in the Lord by prayers for the success and His safety. It is how wonderful that God helped 7 people to know Him and they believed in Him, 3 of them secretly believe in Jesus because of fear from their own family.

We are praying for your safety from the Hurricane that’s going on in your area and believe that you are doing well and safe.

——————————-

From a man and a wife who were fearful to speak about Jesus, to two people who have thrown caution to the wind for the sake of Christ, we have people willing to open their mouths and speak out about the goodness of God toward the people of the world. You can see their photo in the kitchen, proudly holding their Bibles, confident in the salvation of God that is found in our Lord.

Someone had to make this possible. The Lord opened the doors, He provided the way, He placed the burden on people’s hearts, and He is glorified through those who responded. Our Pakistani friend’s words in the middle of his email will need attention –

“We found some people want to come to attend this meeting again and they want to bring their family friends to enjoy to learn about God, His creation and His Salvation plan.”

Surely this means they will want to show this film again. That will require the same help as before. If it fits your budget, and if he asks, I will offer you the opportunity to assist. Thirty-eight people came. Seven accepted the Lord. Maybe we can all talk to thirty-eight people this week in our own circle of life. Maybe we can help this young evangelist in Pakistan to do it for us as well.

Here he is, risking his own life to share the gospel and how did he close? He was thinking of us here in Sarasota – “We are praying for your safety from the Hurricane that’s going on in your area and believe that you are doing well and safe.”

And, indeed, we are. We were inconvenienced for a moment in a world of convenience and prosperity, and we are being prayed for by people that are so poor, they cannot afford a $7 Bible in their own language without compromising their own budget for the month’s expenses. Praise God for His tender mercies.

Heaven’s door is open for all to go through
But it’s guarded with cherub and sword
So, to pass through the gate, this you must do
Follow the gospel and call on the Lord

By faith in His work and by faith alone
Access is granted past heaven’s sword
His blood was shed for your sins to atone
Again, I beg you, call on the Lord

 I implore you, call on the Lord

III. A Heart for the Lord

The next time you feel the need to encourage me, I will accept your words. The next time you have the desire to compliment me, please don’t. What you experience each week has very little to do with me. Pray for those who actually make this church run. Pray that the Lord will give them wisdom, skill, ability, and stamina.

Have a heart for the Lord. In all you do, fix your eyes on Him, cherish Him, and remember His cross. We are servants, temporarily granted the honor and privilege of serving the King of the universe until our days are spent.

For those who spend them wisely, they will not only rise to everlasting life, but they will do so to rewards for their faithfulness that they cannot even imagine right now. So stand fast in your faith, persevere in doing good, and be sure it is good that is done by faith in Jesus.

A good deed not done in His name has no lasting meaning. It may benefit for a moment, it may temporarily ease a pain or a sorrow, but it will not be remembered beyond this tearful path we trod each day until we return to dust under our feet.

But a good deed done in Jesus’ name will endure. It will find an eternal reward, and its purpose in this life will surely extend beyond the deed itself. Eyes will hopefully be opened to the Source of what you have done, and the recipient will then find joy in the everlasting arms of the Lord.

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:9, 10

A hurricane is a difficult thing to get through, but it is also a time when the storm around us will help us to reconsider the storms within us. We have things raging inside that can be calmed by the compassionate hand of the Lord, we have conflicts that can be eased by the knowledge of His word, and we have pressures and burdens that we can cast upon the Lord because He cares for us.

Let us spend our time wisely. Let us endeavor to get into the word of God and find out about Jesus because in finding out about Jesus, we can then find out about the very heart of God. But you must first start with the word. Nothing else can replace this and nothing else will be found as an acceptable substitute.

We are the Superior Word not simply because we happen to be on Superior Avenue, but because we understand that God’s word is superior. It is the light to dispel darkness. It is a place to find hope for the human soul. It is our guide when we are on the right path, and it is the way to get on that path in the first place. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

Have a heart for the Lord by having a heart for His word. And in that, you will then have a properly directed heart for how to conduct your lives in accord with His word.

This life is short, your time was set before the first grain of sand came into existence, and God already knows how things will end up for you. But you do not. Hence, it is up to you to find out by first expending yourself for Him. The reward awaits and the reward is Jesus. How much does what He offers matter to you? I encourage you today, have a heart for the Lord.

“Heaven is My throne,
And earth is My footstool.
Where is the house that you will build Me?
And where is the place of My rest?
² For all those things My hand has made,
And all those things exist,”
Says the Lord.
“But on this one will I look:
On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
And who trembles at My word.” Isaiah 66:1, 2

Closing Verse: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. ⁹ The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8, 9

Next Week: Joshua 8:1-20 Jay got a practice week last time, by and by… and yes, he makes it so fun (The Fall of Ai, Part I)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Though the storms of life may rage around you, the Lord is your hiding place and your safe refuge. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

 

Presenting the Word of God to the People of God

A close friend of mine asked me to have breakfast with him recently so that we could discuss something pressing upon him. Not sure of what was up, I – of course – agreed.

In our conversation, he said he had come to the conclusion, from a purely secular perspective, that the only thing that could save our nation from inevitable collapse was for the people to be turned back to a right relationship with God. There is nothing in the political arena that is capable of doing that at this point.

I think his thoughts are based on the fact that there is really no other avenue that will stop the fast-paced moral slide into the abyss that is occurring in the nation, and indeed in the entire world. There is no doubt that unless this unholy tide is stemmed, it will be too late in a very short time. Indeed, it may be too late even now.

In fact, just a week ago, I reported that “More than 120 retired American military officials have signed an open letter warning that America has veered left under Democratic control and that the nation’s survival is on the line.” They said –

“Under a Democrat Congress and the Current Administration, our Country has taken a hard left turn toward Socialism and a Marxist form of tyrannical government which must be countered now by electing congressional and presidential candidates who will always act to defend our Constitutional Republic.”

The main problem in America comes from the fact that the same people who have crept into the government, meaning the communists, have also secured themselves into almost every seminary in the nation. This may sound conspiratorial, but it is not. The leftist agenda in this nation is a communist agenda. The two, at this point, are inseparable.

If all you watch is the mainstream media, this may seem surprising to you, but they have been, for many years now, at the forefront of this by reporting a false narrative while these communists have slowly worked their way through both the government and our churches.

Text Verse: “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: ² Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. ³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; ⁴ and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. ⁵ But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:1-5

To understand this problem, and to look back at how long this has been planned, we will go to a report submitted to the US Congress in 1963.

On Thursday, January 10, 1963, the Honorable A.S. Herlong, Jr. of Florida submitted, in an extension of remarks to the US House of Representatives, what he entitled “Current Communist Goals.” In his submission, he specifically named forty-five goals of the communists in order to gain control of this nation.

What I am presenting to you now is a sermon on how I prepare my sermons. It seems like this would otherwise be a waste of time. There are churches everywhere. Seminaries have courses on homiletics. And so on. Isn’t that enough to get the word of God out in a proper manner to the church? No, I do not believe it is.

Many seminaries teach a great deal, but little of it is based solely on the word of God. Some of them teach nothing of the word of God at all. And it is perfectly evident from what issues from innumerable churches across our land, from week to week, that the word of God is not the main concern of what they are presenting to the attendees.

But that is exactly what the structure of the church is established for. It is not there to push agendas, it is not there to make people feel good, and it is not there to be a self-perpetuating money maker. It is an institution that is to be designed around one main thing – the word of God. And that word of God is given to tell us, above all else, about His dealings with humanity through the Person of Jesus Christ.

Further, I’m not saying that the way I prepare sermons is the best way to do so. However, there are countless sermons spoken forth on any given Sunday that have – literally – nothing to do with the word of God. And those that do may only touch on the word. The rest of the time, people are simply given an easy message that is intended to encourage them in some manner.

This is not a proper way of informing people about the contents of the word of God. Whatever these people are being taught in seminary, it is not enough. That is perfectly evident. And so, I will convey to you my own method of sermon preparation so that any who truly cares about the word will be able to follow this path without all of the learning curve that I had to go through in order to come to where I am now.

The truth is, though, that this would be unnecessary if pastors were properly trained in the biblical text and proper theology, and also if they were willing to spend the necessary time it takes to prepare and present the type of sermons to their congregations that would protect their flocks from the damage inflicted by such ungodly people within the society.

This is not a sermon on either politics or communism, but these points must be understood as – at least in part – a basis for understanding why such a sermon is deemed by my friend to be necessary at all. Our churches have been led down a sad path of theological apostasy, and the only way to rectify that is to turn ourselves to what is sound and reasonable. And this is to be issued forth from any pastor who truly feels the weight of his responsibility to the flock he presents himself to each week.

Immensely important things like exalting the word of God that tells us about Jesus Christ in our church gatherings are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us consider that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. An Unholy Agenda

With the thought in mind that I said earlier about the leftist agenda in the United States actually being a communist agenda, and that it is being championed by the democrat party, I need to substantiate that before we go on. And so, of the forty-five points submitted by Representative Herlong to the United States House of Representatives in 1963 that I mentioned a moment ago, please consider the following twenty-eight –

13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.
14. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.
15. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.
16. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers’ associations. Put the party line in textbooks.
17. Gain control of all student newspapers.
18. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.
19. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, and policymaking positions.
20. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.
21. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to “eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms.”
22. Control art critics and directors of art museums. “Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art.”
23. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them “censorship” and a violation of free speech and free press.
24. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.
25. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as “normal, natural, and healthy.”
26. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with “social” religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a “religious crutch.”
27. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of “separation of church and state.” (Remember these goals were published to expose them in 1958) Coincidence?
28. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.
29. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the “common man.”
30. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the “big picture.” Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.
31. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture–education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.
32. Eliminate all laws or procedures, which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.
33. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.
34. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.
35. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.
36. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand [or treat].
37. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.
38. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.
39. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.
40. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use [“] united force [“] to solve economic, political or social problems.

This was 1963, almost sixty years ago. Were we to go over each of these points, even with only with a broad brushstroke of printed articles from the past year, we would be able to identify that almost each and every one of them has been carefully and meticulously introduced, pursued, and fully completed within one party of the United States of America – the democrat party. This is unquestionable, it is without controversy, and it is beyond contestation.

Our government has been fully taken over by the communists and we have let it happen, above all, because we have replaced our faith in God with false idols of prosperity, wealth, consumption, moral turpitude, and even downright depravity. And, sadly, it is the church that has often been at the forefront of this amazingly precipitous decline.

Of all these forty-five points, the most important one, though only listed in position 27, says, “Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with ‘social’ religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a ‘religious crutch.’”

The reason this is the most important one is that if proper religion were maintained within the churches of our nation, none of these other points would have occurred. We would have remained on guard, we would not have allowed sexually, politically, and morally deviant people to overtake our society. And we surely would not have allowed the democrat party of these United States to succeed in destroying the foundational Christian underpinnings of this nation.

The man in the White House, his vice president, and indeed all of his associates – along with the democrats in the House and the Senate – are opposed to the right, perfect, and moral doctrines found in Scripture – wholly and entirely. Any person who has read through the Bible even once, and even if he does not accept the Bible as God’s word, could come to no other conclusion.

Everything stems back to, as Jude says, the “faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” In our somnambulance, it is a faith that we have let go of, and we are now paying the price for our slumbering.

Almost every mainstream denomination has been completely sold out to this leftist agenda. Methodist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, and so on. They have, for all intents and purposes, become bastions of communist ideology. Even the once sound Southern Baptist Convention has been infiltrated by this ideology, and it is quickly turning aside from the sacred and precious faith.

And because people within the congregations were unwilling to step away from what was occurring before their eyes, the power of these miscreants increased within the government because the people who run these churches are in the same bed as those who run this government.

It no longer matters to those in the democrat party if they commit the most horrendous of perversions because those in the churches are not there to condemn them. Think of Barney Frank – and how many years ago was that! Indeed, these churches are there to support them.

These words are not intended to condemn immorality within society. I am not the judge of those things. I can only highlight them as examples that are contrary to what the Bible expects for the society, and especially for the people of God. God will judge. Our accusations will convert no one. Only a proper explanation of what God expects in order to come to a precious saving faith in His provision will convert anyone.

Those churches that have held to the morality of Scripture as sacrosanct are belittled by members of their own denominations, by a complicit media, and now by a complicit group within Big Tech.

The voices of moral reason and godliness have been silenced both actively and passively. Actively by the tech companies, by government itself, and even by those within the hierarchies of these denominations who hold power over those in lower positions. And passively this has come about by those pastors who are too afraid to speak out at what is going on.

I do not need to dwell on this point any further, and I shall not. The damage is done, the infection has set in, and unless pastors are willing to exalt the morality found in Scripture to its rightful place within this society once again, even those pastors who ride a borderline approach are soon to be rounded up… and executed. Mock that if you will, but the hour is not long in coming. History is not without precedent in this regard. Rather, it is filled with it.

When faced with their own demise, most pastors will, sadly, simply step off the borderline and set their feet ontto the left of it, aligning themselves with the forces of iniquity that they are too terrified of to speak out against any longer. Yes, I suppose most will choose this path when the time comes.

Tragedy in the Garden

The woman was enticed, and she ate of the fruit
She passed it on to Adam and he ate as well
He became the second willing recruit
And together they left a sad story to tell

Their eyes were opened to their exposed state
They realized that life in sin just ain’t so great

They sewed together figs to hide their shame
And made coverings that just wouldn’t suffice
The Lord questioned them about their hiding game
And they realized that sin just ain’t so nice

“Where are you?” called the LORD. (Though he already knew)
“I was hiding because I realized something wasn’t right
I was afraid to answer, I’m naked … yes, it’s true
And so, I hid myself, like a shadow in the night”

“Who told you that you were naked? What is this you did do?
Have you taken of the fruit which I told you not to eat?”
“It was the women who did it… the one made by You
She told me of its yumminess… and how it was so sweet”

I thought it would be so good, but I guess I paid the price
I’m beginning to see that sin really ain’t so nice

“Woman, what is this thing that you have done?
Traded life under the heavens for life under the sun.”
Oh my Lord it was the serpent. He deceived me and I ate
And now I’m seeing that sin just ain’t so great”

Oh God that we could take it back and undo what we have done
Life was wonderful under the heavens
But it’s terrible under the sun

What can we do make things right?
Where can we turn to be healed?
How long will we be cast from Your sight?
How long until the grave is unsealed?

I have a plan, children, but you’ll have to wait
Many years under the sun toiling in the heat
But I will someday open wide heaven’s gate
When My own Son, the devil will defeat

I will send My own Son, the devil to defeat

II. How My Sermons are Prepared

For those preachers who are set and ready to put as first position the lives they have been called to, it means hard work is ahead. It is undoubtedly true that most pastors do not write their own sermons. Some have their staff write them so that they can deliver them with panache on Sunday morning.

There are books with formatted sermons already available. Sermons can be downloaded from the internet, and they can be purchased from innumerable people who will do the work for them so that they can get back to the more important issues of the ministry – be it a day of golfing each week, or some other time of leisure that would be otherwise unheard of if they truly devoted themselves to the calling set before them.

This should not be. Though you will not find this in Scripture, I am of the belief that no sermon should ever be preached by a pastor that he has not personally put together after struggling in the battle of preparing it. If he cannot do this one thing – this most important and intimate thing – for those he is shepherding, he should not be their shepherd.

Congregants should find out where their pastor’s sermons come from. If they are not from him and his personal studies, then what he is preaching is the work of another, and the doctrine may or may not even be what he believes. But it is the doctrine presented by the pastor that guides the church. And it is the church alone, that can stand against the unholy tide flooding the nations of this world.

And, before going on, a note of correction for those pastors who are willing to speak out – from the word – concerning the moral issues of the society: The term “Judeo-Christian values” is not a sound or appropriate way to refer to the values of the nation they are trying to return morality to.

Pastors may put forth terms such as “biblical values,” or they may be more specific and say, “Christ-centered biblical values.” But the term “Judeo Christian values” exalts the faith, whatever that may be, of Jews who do not believe in Christ… to the same level as those people – Jew or Gentile – who do. It is a perverse term that should never have become a part of the standard lexicon of faithful preachers of the word of God.

The entire body of Scripture, Old Testament and New, cannot be properly understood or explained without Jesus Christ being the central focus of what is being presented from Scripture. Jesus made that explicit in John 5 –

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. ⁴⁰ But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” John 5:39, 40

&

“Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. ⁴⁶ For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. ⁴⁷ But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” John 5:45-47

It is unconscionable for the preacher to preach in the church of the saints of Jesus Christ without clearly demonstrating, each and every week, that this precious word of God – conveyed to us by God through men of God – points to His workings in redemptive history completely and entirely, with Jesus Christ as the focus of what God is doing.

And finally, before I explain the mechanical “how” of preparing a sermon as I do, I will say this – clearly and without ambiguity. No person should be allowed into the pulpit to preach on the word of God unless he is fully versed in the word of God.

If he has not read the Bible through, innumerable times, and if he does not commit to reading this word every single day of his life – first thing in the morning and last thing at night – he should not be your preacher.

Any person can go to the streets and share the gospel, even preach the gospel. But for a complete and well-prepared analysis of God’s word from the pulpit, that person must be fully aware of the contents of the entire body of Scripture.

This does not mean various theologies of Scripture that anyone can learn in a seminary without knowing the word of God. This means knowing the word of God so that they can tell when the theologies of Scripture are being improperly taught to them when they attend seminary.

We have put the cart before the horse by sending people unaware of Scripture off to seminary to learn doctrine. Proper doctrine is to be derived from an analysis of Scripture. Scripture is not to be interpreted from man-derived doctrines.

No wonder we are in the pickle we are in! When a person enters a theological seminary and he is not yet well-versed in Scripture, he is subject to be taught anything – no matter how perverse – and he will accept it from that point on.

This is the same model that has been introduced into our secular schools all over this nation. We are training young minds to believe in a communist model of life, and this is what they will cling to – believing that what they are trained is correct – for all their days. And this all started because these communists first infected the churches of those who are now the teachers in our schools.

When Alexis de Tocqueville wrote about the young democracy planted in this nation, he highlighted the religious nature of the people of this land. He was adamant that the traditional religion of America is certainly of the highest importance in the nation’s statesmanship.

So much was this the case that he said that our religion – our Christian faith – “should be considered the first” of the nation’s “political institutions.” He concluded that America must at all costs “maintain Christianity.” This cannot occur unless pastors first properly explain this precious message to those who will enter into the political arena.

And that cannot occur when we ordain pastors who are unaware of the contents of the precious treasure we call “The Word of God.” If a person is well-versed in Scripture, there are many ways to present it to a congregation. Today, most sermons are presented as “life application” sermons, instructing the congregation on how to live one’s life in regard to whatever issue is being presented in the subject material.

Although there is nothing wrong with this approach, teaching the contents of the word of God, line by line, will mold congregants into people who are aware of the nuances of Scripture. With such a presentation, from week to week, they will not need to be told how to live their lives in a biblical manner. They will know how to do so because they will be aware of what the Bible expects of them.

This is the approach that some denominations take, and it is the approach that I myself follow. And so, as tedious as it may appear, I want to give a brief overview of how these sermons are put together. I honestly believe it is the most effective way of conveying the word of God to the people of God, and if enough voices rise from the pulpit with this approach, those who hear will understand the truth, reliability, and power of this word.

Each week, I follow on from whatever passage ended the previous week. We started our biblical adventure on October 23^th, 2011, with Genesis 1:1. Since then, we have slowly and methodically progressed through the five books of Moses, so that today, a bit less than ten years later, we are going through the fifth book of Moses, Deuteronomy.

Following this approach has been both spiritually rewarding, and I am sure it has been edifying to all who have continued through these books, myself included. In the early chapters of Genesis, even until about Genesis 35, I feel I went far too fast through the verses. I wasn’t attentive to the detail as I should have been, and I was unlearned in any meaningful sense in the Hebrew.

Therefore, this has been as much of a learning experience for me as it has been for those who have participated in these sermons. The process has remained basically the same, but it has been slowly modified here and there to where we are now. It is my hope that in explaining how I write these sermons, it will help others in progressing more quickly past those points of learning that I had to struggle through.

I had no model to go by, no pattern laid out, and I had to discover what did work and what did not work. Even today, I will slightly amend my approach as needed.

When I started typing the sermons, I chose a passage by the size or content of the passage and determined to write a sermon based on that. At times, this is still necessary, but it is now the exception rather than the rule.

Instead, I will have the framework of the sermon laid out each week – a template that I use for each sermon. This has a title (which includes the book, chapter, and verses of the sermon and the subject of it); a text passage (whatever the subject verses are referred to during the sermon); a text verse (a verse that will anchor the entire text passage to the mind of the listener); and the standard closing of the opening section which is substantially repeated each and every week.

After this, will be a place for the main points of the sermon – be it two, three, or even four sections. Then comes a closing verse (a verse that will sum up the thought of what has been presented). After that will be a note of what the contents of the next sermon will be. And then a place is left for a poem based on all of the text passage for that sermon.

There is a reason for each of these. Maybe surprisingly, the poem for the sermon, or sermons, for the entire coming chapter is the first thing I type. Supposing I have completed the verses for Deuteronomy 17, then before I actually start the Chapter 18 sermons – meaning the week before I start – I compose a poem based on all verses of Chapter 18. This poem is as close to the original text as I can possibly make it.

That is now complete, and I don’t have to worry about it interfering with the typing of whatever sermons come out of Chapter 18, be it one sermon or five. As the contents of each sermon are completed, I simply take the poem and divide it according to the verses that were included in it. For example, Deuteronomy 18 turned out to be three sermons – 1-8; 9-14; and 15-22.

The question may be, “Why do you do a poem based on the verses of each chapter?” Being glad you asked, I will explain. The reason is that before giving the sermon, the sermon text is read – Deuteronomy 18:15-22, for example. After that, the sermon is given based on those eight verses. After the sermon has been given, a poem, based directly on those eight verses and matching them as closely as possible, is then read.

In all, the sermon passage is therefore heard in three different ways. It is, thus, a memory tool for the congregation. As poetry is different in tone and make-up, even if it is almost a mirror of the text itself, it is a completely unique memory tool.

Out of sheer laziness, because of the amount of time it takes, several times, I have thought to drop this part of the sermon. And each time I thought to do so, someone has walked up out of the blue and said how much the poem helps them to process what they have just heard.

With the format laid out and the poem done for the entire chapter, on the next Monday, I start into the sermon itself. I have the format all ready, and so I start by reviewing the verses that I will be going over and immediately get into analyzing the first verse. We’ll say it is Deuteronomy 18:15.

What I do is to open (at least) 8 tabs on the computer. The first six are from BibleHub.com and are set to the following:

1) Bible Hub – a parallel of the verse being evaluated with approximately 25 different translations of that verse. Sometimes, looking at them isn’t necessary. Sometimes reading all 25 translations is needed. It is an invaluable tool.

2) Bible Hub – the entire verse in the Hebrew with a link to Strong’s concordance for each word; each word in Hebrew; a literal English translation for each word; and the morphology of each word. Each word is linked to those various tools, and each is meticulously reviewed by me in all four of these aspects, as needed.

If the word being looked at is a new word in Scripture, that is noted, and its meaning and etymology are explained during the sermon. The introduction of new words, the number of times the words are used in Scripture, and other such information can be an integral part of understanding the passage.

This may be the most important tab open and spending an hour or more on a single verse is not uncommon.

3) Bible Hub – commentaries from (for the Old Testament) Charles Ellicott, Joseph Benson, Matthew Henry, Albert Barnes, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, John Gill, the Geneva Bible, Cambridge, and the Pulpit Commentary.

4) Bible Hub – the commentary of Adam Clarke.

5) Bible Hub – the commentary of John Lange.

6) Bible Hub – the commentary of Keil and Delitzsch.

To get a fuller idea of what the verse being looked at is saying, I read almost every word of every commentary just named. This is an important step. These men have been trained in the biblical languages, and they have built their commentaries on some of the finest Bible scholars in all of church history who preceded them.

With the exception of Cambridge, for an evaluation of the Bible as an inspired text, these are some of the finest commentaries available. Cambridge is terrible in this regard, and their commentaries are often worse than useless – they being a bunch of liberal scholars.

And yet, their insights into the structure of the passage, and their analyses of the mechanical aspects of the Hebrew are invaluable. This past Monday, they pointed out a gender error in Deuteronomy 21:10 that not one of the 28 translations of the Bible that I read for the sermon caught, and not one of the scholars named above caught. And yet, without that, the typology of Jesus Christ in that passage would have been overlooked or flawed.

Even when their conclusion concerning the meaning of the text is completely wrong, as it most often is, what they submit can often alert the reader to something nobody else ever even hints at.

In other words, in their attempt to call the contents of the Bible into question, they will often bring out marvelous insights that – when thought through – do exactly the opposite.

As a side note concerning Bible Hub. It is one of the best sites I know of for the type of work I do. It is an invaluable resource and without it, the labor involved in what I do would go from 6-10 hours to 15 or even 20 hours, or more. There is no site that I appreciate more.

However, as this was put together by man, there will be errors at times. When I find an error in any part of the pages I am evaluating, I do not ignore it. I immediately stop my sermon typing and email John at Biblehub.com with the corrections. I sent one to him this Monday from that same verse. His site is a masterpiece of biblical information, and we want a perfect site for the users.

7) Bible Gateway – the chapter that is being evaluated (in this case Deuteronomy 18) is opened. This is kept open all day and often needs to be referred to innumerable times. I always use the same version for sermon typing (NKJV). Any variations in version are always cited.

8) Bible Gateway – an extra bible search engine is opened in order to search out passages from elsewhere in the Bible that will be cited. At times, I may open two or three extras if there is a lot going on.

9) In addition to the above, if there are any names of places or people included in the passage, a tab is opened for Abarim Publications. They have the finest and most accurate analyses of the meaning of biblical names to be found. Many “Bible Name” sites are so far off of an actual meaning of the names that they are useless. Caution and care must be taken when considering biblical names.

With all of these tabs open, and with reading everything involved with each of them for analyzing each verse, and then putting it together into a cohesive and understandable (well, hopefully) analysis for the congregation, I still take time to do one more thing with the verse that seemingly has nothing to do with the sermon. And yet, it often helps me to put together thoughts that are actually invaluable for the sermon.

It is something I recommend to anyone who wants to progress in their understanding of the Hebrew, the structure of the verse, and of how that verse can be misunderstood. I have taken one version of the Bible and I compare it directly with the Hebrew, word for word, and then check that translation for error – for every verse I look at.

In my case, and for personal reasons, I chose the King James Version. The reason this is productive is because it leads to other really valuable insights that you might not even have imagined. If you are going to analyze the Bible for your sermons as I do, I wholly recommend you pick a version of the Bible and do exactly this with each verse.

As a side note, I also type a commentary on a single verse of the New Testament seven days a week. Other than the Gospels, Acts (which is next), and Revelation (which is now three quarter complete), I have a full commentary on the entire New Testament. The reason I bring this up is that I do the same evaluation of the Greek against the KJV as I do for the sermon from the Old Testament Hebrew. If you would like my Hebrew/Greek comparison of the KJV, it is on our website.

At the end of the text study and sermon typing, we will say for Deuteronomy 18:15-22, I immediately finish the body of the sermon by typing closing comments. They are usually something that is more of a life application concerning what has been looked at.

However, there are times I will completely skip a life application, and simply go on to convey the glory of what Christ has done in relation to the subject matter at hand. In the end, the summary to the sermon is what will settle the minds of those listening and help them to redirect to what is most important.

That is either their life responsibility in relation to God, or simply contemplating the glory of God. Either way, this is an invaluable part of a sermon, and it must be carefully presented to leave the listener with the thought that they are accountable to this great, gracious, and yet holy God.

When that is spoken out to them, they should be moved into their soul over His goodness as is relayed to us in the redemptive narrative that is presented in the pages of Scripture.

Once this is completed, I will usually only then figure out what I want to be my text verse for the sermon. As I explained earlier, it is a verse that will anchor the entire text passage to the mind of the listener. In the case of Deuteronomy 18:15-22 the text verse is of Isaiah 8:19, 20.

Normally a text verse will be one verse, or a few at best. However, at times, it may be a whole passage if needed to convey the thought properly.

Next, I will figure out a closing verse. That is a verse that will, hopefully, sum up the content of the passage for the reader to say, “Yeah, I get that!” For that particular Deuteronomy sermon, I chose Hebrews 12:18-24.

Next, unless I have already divided the sermon up into individual sections, I will do that at this time. This is important because there are almost always changes of thought within the sermon that should be separated in order to help the reader transition.

In the case of Deuteronomy 18:15-22, it was divided up into three sections –

1. Him You Shall Hear (verses 15 & 16)
2. I Will Require It of Him (verses 17-19)
3. III. You Shall Not Be Afraid of Him (verses 20-22)

Each of these main points are based on words that are conveyed directly within those verses. It is, thus, a word for word memory tool for the listener of the sermon, whether he or she realizes it or not.

After dividing the sermon up in this way, I then take the time to type a poem that reflects the sentiment of what was and what will be conveyed between the sections. I do one poem prior to the beginning of any second, third, or fourth section.

Hence, because there are three sections in the sermon from Deuteronomy 18:15-22, there will be two intervening poems. The reason for this is that it allows listeners or readers to mentally stop and clear their minds of the overload of information that they have just been presented… because there is an overload of information that has just been presented.

I learned to do this while reading a sermon by Charles Spurgeon, and it has been something I have done almost since the very beginning of my time as a preacher. I cannot imagine giving a sermon without this.

So, what is left at this point? Only two things are left for the sermon to be completed. The next thing I do is to now type the introduction to the sermon. Yes, that is almost the last – not the first – thing that I do. It is very rare for me to do it at any other time, but it does happen occasionally.

This comes at the end of the sermon typing because until I have done the conclusion of the sermon, I don’t know what that conclusion will be. But the conclusion is based on the contents of the sermon, and I don’t know what the contents of the sermon will be until the sermon is complete.

Once the conclusion is done, then the opening is typed to closely match what is said at the conclusion, and I can’t match that opening with the conclusion until I know what the conclusion says. This is the standard way of presenting such information – give a thought, explain that thought, and then sum up that thought.

In the case of the sermon, because the summing up is done first, then the opening must come afterward in order to match the summary, which is based on the contents of the sermon. Everything finds its place when it is done this way. Listeners are reminded of what they were told at the beginning of the sermon, and it will thus much better instill in their minds the contents of the entire sermon.

After the opening comments are completed, there is one more thing that needs to be done – the main title to the sermon. The sermon verses need to be put into the title. These weren’t known until the sermon was complete. In this case, Deuteronomy 18:15-22. After that, and last of all, the sermon is given a name.

Obviously, a title is a normal part of a sermon, but that is only chosen based on the contents of the sermon. Therefore, the contents of the title are usually the first and the last parts of the sermon to be completed. For example:

Deuteronomy 18:15-XX is the first thing I know about the sermon. When the sermon is complete and I know which verse has ended the passage, I then complete that part: Deuteronomy 18:15-22. This is actually necessary because there are times where I will start a sermon and will end up only evaluating one verse for the entire sermon. So, this part of the title must be completed after I know the sermon’s contents.

From there, and only then, is a title chosen. I used to choose titles for viewer appeal – “This sounds good and will catch people’s attention.” I no longer do this. I don’t care about catching people’s attention. I care about a proper presentation of the word of God. Therefore, the title is now, almost always, chosen directly and word-for-word from the sermon text. Thus, the sermon title is now complete –

Deuteronomy 18:15-22
A Prophet Like Moses

This is how sermons are prepared at the Superior Word.

To worship and to serve the Lord our God
Eternal fellowship in a land of Delight
On hallowed soil our feet will trod
And the Lord shall always be in our sight

In His light, to walk and also to praise
The Lamb of God who was slain
Illuminated by His ever-glowing rays
No tears, no fear, no sorrow, no pain

Come to the waters and be restored
Drink and receive Grace from the Lord

Heaven’s door is open for all to go through
But you see it’s guarded with cherub and sword
So, to pass through the gate, this you must do
It is the gospel, “Call on the Lord”

By faith in His work and by faith alone
Access is granted past heaven’s sword
His blood was shed for your sins to atone
Again, I beg you, call on the Lord

Again, I implore you, call on the Lord

III. Other Technical Aspects

Preparing a sermon as I do does not mean that when I am done on Monday, that the sermon work is done. Not by a longshot. Unlike a life application sermon that you can type up and have ready in an hour or so and then set it aside for Sunday morning, my 7-10 (or more) hour Monday sermon typing is only a beginning step.

First, a sermon that has been done in the way I do it cannot be conveyed to the congregation with minimal notes. It cannot be looked at once and then spoken forth either. Rather, what is typed is usually so intricate and complicated that it must be read, just as it is typed, to the church.

The first thing I do is to set the sermon aside for an entire week or more so that I mentally let go of everything that has been put together. After this, I read it out loud, check for errors, move things so that they fit better within the sermon, add in or amend things, and so on.

At the same time, I do the graphics work for the sermon. Everything that will be inserted into the video copy of the sermon that the congregation doesn’t get to see (but they get to see me live, so it’s a happy trade off), is prepared for when the video work is done.

After that, the sermon is set off to the side for the next nine or so weeks. That is because I type the sermons ten weeks in advance. This is an invaluable tool for several reasons. First, if I get sick or am otherwise unable to be at the church, I am unlikely to get behind.

Secondly, in doing another nine sermons in the order of Scripture, I am able to learn much more about what is coming, and often new points that I had not even thought of for those nine as-yet unread sermons will come out. If I could do sermons one hundred weeks in advance, how much more would this be the case. But one can only do so much.

And third, special sermons – such as at Christmas or Resurrection Day – will not interfere with the flow of the sermons out of the book we are engaged in at that time.

One week before giving the sermon, usually on Friday, I practice it out loud. This actually has the benefit of me getting my mind off the sermon I will be giving on Sunday, and it will have me ready for the next week because I now have all of the information from two sermons in my head to some extent.

On the week that I give the sermon, I will then practice it out loud each day, checking for things to correct or amend, and getting myself familiar enough with it so that it, hopefully, is passable to the church when it is given. They are far too gracious as they ignore my less than satisfactory oratory skills. For this, I am blessed.

Finally, on Thursday, I print off a copy for everyone that attends, I put it on the church website, scheduling it to appear on Sunday morning, and on Friday morning I send a copy of it out to those who attend online. And, on Friday as with each week, I then practice the next week’s sermon again, and the cycle continues on.

After giving the sermon on Sunday, I must then go home and edit and render the video, and then upload it to various sites on the internet. Once that is done, everything for the next ten weeks of sermons is moved forward one week in my sermon files, and the day is done.

Monday morning, a new battle is engaged as I face the daunting challenge of typing a new sermon – “Oh Lord, prepare my fingers for the battle that lies ahead.” It is my weekly petition to be given the grace of facing His word and not being left entirely defeated in the process.

To conclude: The point of this sermon is to help those who cherish this word, but who have not yet formed a sound approach to presenting this precious gift to the people they minister to.

Please note: it will make no difference that I have done this sermon unless it gets out to others, so I hope you will be willing to share it if it has been a blessing to you.

Closing Verse: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” Luke 4:4

The Word of God – holy, pure, and perfect too
It is given to satisfy man’s weary soul
In this life we trod, let us take an eternal view
And allow the word to convert us to God’s heavenly roll

There, in the Book of Life our names will be
Because we pursued His word and found Jesus
Innumerable redeemed, there by the glassy sea
Such a marvelous thing God has done for us

If we will just open the Bible, our own Book of Life
And accept what it says as holy and true
Then between us and God will end the strife
The word is given; to us life begins anew

Thank You, O God, for this marvelous word
In accepting its truths our place in heaven is forever assured

 Hallelujah and Amen…