06-09-2023

“But Samuel replied: ‘Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.’” (1^st Samuel 15:22-23)

Beloved, any apparent worship ritual that is not accompanied by obedience is worthless to the individual and a insult to God. It is nothing more than rebellion and arrogance. Obedience to God is an indispensable part of true worship. Ceremony is necessary and important but must be accompanied by service for God, by obedience to His will. True worship is adoring and obedient love for Him and loving service to others at God’s direction.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Dear Abba, sadly we have not fully learned just how important true worship is to You, and how important it ought to be for us, as well. It is also the first step following worship, that we are obedient to serve You and Your will after worship. Bless all those who are hurting in body, mind, and/or spirit, that they might set aside their issues and let You deal with them on their behalf, and accept their humble repentance of their sins Abba. For those in conflicts around the world with wars and natural disasters, pour out an anointing upon them all, that they too, might feel You near them and take comfort in that knowledge. Amen.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“Evil people will eventually fail; Godly people will ultimately prevail!”

KNOWING GOD:

“For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6)

God want the loving obedience of His people more than He wants their animal sacrifices. Worship comes from an obedience heart filled with God’s attitudes, such as mercy. Offerings given in pride and with demands on God are not acceptable. Acknowledging God’s sovereign rule over us the prelude to prayer and the requirement for genuine relationship with God. Clear enough?

SECOND THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“Another thing you do: You flood the Lord’s altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. You ask, ‘Why?’ It is because the Lord in acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.” (Malachi 2:13-14)

Israel lived among peoples who had no problem participating in worship serviced for several different gods. Marriage meant simply adding another worship service—-that of the spouse’s god—-to the schedule. The one true God does not accept He is sufficient to handle all functions attributed to any god. We must devote all worship and reverence to Him alone. Two offenses prevented God from accepting—-marriage to a pagan and divorce. A right spirit, not an emotional outpouring, would make the offerings acceptable. Family relationships great affect our prayer life. Giving or ceremonial worship does not remove the necessity for right living, including respect within families. Finally, broken relationships hurt true worship. Malachi’s generation thought worship rituals qualified them as God’s people even when they openly disobeyed God’s will for their marriages. God revealed to them it a different way, that this was not true and they should have known better.

06-08-2023

“Then the Israelites, all the people, went up to Bethel, and there they sat weeping before the Lord. They fasted that day until evening and presented burnt offerings, and fellowship offerings to the Lord; for in those days the ark of the covenant of God was there.” (Leviticus 9:23-24)

Here in worship an attitude of humility is absolutely required for true worship. This attitude found expression here as the people wept, fasted, and presented offering to the Lord. True humility involves a complete yielding of oneself to the Lord. This expression often involves repentance. Weeping, fasting, and repentance is part of the worship experience of God’s people. No evidence appears in Scripture that God ever accepts an arrogant spirit in worship. To weeping the people added fasting and offerings. Prayer does not guarantee an endeavor will be successful. Prayer does give us a sense of God’s direction and a will to try again.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Dear Abba, the people learned that reverence is the proper way to approach worship, as it sets the actions of the worshipers in the right mode for true worship. In addition, God had already to the people that on the next day, he would give them victory over those who had gone again the Israelites. Bless all those who are hurting in body, mind, and/or spirit, that they might set aside their issues and let You deal with them on their behalf, and accept their humble repentance of their sins Abba. For those in conflicts around the world with wars and natural disasters, pour out an anointing upon them all, that they too, might feel You near them and take comfort in that knowledge. Amen.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“To lift your soul, first bend your knees.”

KNOWING GOD:

“Put on sackcloth, O priests, and mourn; wail you who minister before the alter. Come spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my God; for the grain offerings and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God. Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of he lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.” (Joel 1:13-14)

Often the humility required for true worship is evidenced by weeping, fasting, and repentance. Joel called upon the priests to proclaim a national ceremony of lamentation. Times of distress are time for humble community worship, crying to God for help.

SECOND THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—-to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said to a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water. As a second angel followed and said, ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’ which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.’ A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be fermented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. Their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, for for anyone who received the mark of his name.” This calls for patient endurance on part of the saints who obey Gods commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.” (Revelation 14:3-12)

The gospel is the “Good News” and it has a definite account. It is eternal truth that is the power of God unto eternal salvation for all people from all parts of the world if they will believe. God’s mighty authorial is revealed by His power to judge and to create. His authority strikes fear into the hearts of people. The eternal Gospel calls for all persons everywhere to fer God and worship Him. God the Redeemer is lo the Creator and Judge. There is an awesomeness about salvation, which we dare not overlook. The approaching judgment should led all people to reverent worship and faith. The heavenly messenger proclaimed n awesome moment. Gear should produce a glorifying of God in such a moment. All we called upon to worship God as creator.

06-07-2023

“Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering, he stepped down. Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for your and fell facedown.” (Leviticus 9:23-24)

The people responded immediately to the presence of the Lord. With deep reverence they rejoiced and fell flat on their faces before the Lord. True worship grows out of this sense of reverence and awe for God. Notice the same reaction by Manoah and his wife and of King Johoshaphat and the people. Reverence is a prerequisite to true worship. Israel’s worship rested on God’s historical commands outlining the way to build a place of worship and how to worship. An historical act demonstrated God’s acceptance of Israel’s form of worship.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Dear Abba, the people learned that reverence is was the proper way to approach worship, as it sets the act in the right mode for true worship. Bless all those who are hurting in body, mind, and/or spirit, that they might set aside their issues and let You deal with them on their behalf, and accept their humble repentance of their sins Abba. For those in conflicts around the world with wars and natural disasters, pour out an anointing upon them all, that they too, might feel You near them and take comfort in that knowledge. Amen.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“If you want a place in the (Son) you have to expect some blisters.”

KNOWING GOD:

“But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will will I bow down toward your holy temple. Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies—-before me.” (Psalm 5:7-8)

God’s grace is His love and power reaching out to bless and help those who call upon Him. His grace provides an undeserved blessing.

SECOND THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“He said in a very loud voice, ‘Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.’” (Revelation 14:7)

God’s mighty authority is shown by His power to judge and to create. His authority strikes fear into the hearts of people. The eternal gospel calls for all persons everywhere to fear God and worship him. God the Redeemer is also the Creator and Judge. There is an awesomeness about salvation, which we dare not overlook. The approaching judgment should lead all people to reverent worship and faith.

06-06-2023

“So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—-to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul” (Isaiah 12:1-6)

Worship has at least two distinct aspects: adoration or praise, and obedience or service. To worship God is to “serve” (Hebrew ‘abad), that is to do the work of a slave {‘ebed}/ Such worship or service is done in reverential fear and the wondering of adoring awe, not grudgingly in face of threatened punishment. Service grows out of love and devotion. Worship is not outward actions as much as inner devotion.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Dear Abba, the text from Isaiah, is a foretaste of what Jesus asked those who accepted Him as the long awaited Messiah, and for those of us today, who claim him as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ commands us as Christians, to love others as He had loved us, and our love is a critical part of our service in His honor. Bless all those who are hurting in body, mind, and/or spirit, that they might set aside their issues and let You deal with them on their behalf, and accept their humble repentance of their sins Abba. For those in conflicts around the world with wars and natural disasters, pour out an anointing upon them all, that they too, might feel You near them and take comfort in that knowledge. Amen.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“Wherever your place, tend it with care, God put you there for a reason.”

KNOWING GOD:

“With what shall I come before the Lord and bow done before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed you, O man, what is good . And what does the lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:6-8)

Even those gifts that comply with the letter of the law may not please God, for their value cannot be separated from the life of the giver. Giving or offering sacrifices never substitutes for being a godly person who shows mercy to others and a personal commitment to God. Outward service is an act of worship. Micah saw that it took more to please God than farm, barren, orchard or human sacrifices. More than externals, God wants persons to have fellowship with him and with only another. We see here the futility of ritualistic worship which thinks divine favor can be obtained by offering sacrifices to God. Spiritual change and more transformation mark the atonement of God’s people.

SECOND THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” (Matthew 4:10)

Committed and obedient service is a prominent aspect of true worship. To worship (Greek – proskuneo – means to fall down with face to the ground in humble adoration. The outward act expresses an inward attitude of reverence and humility. To worship is to serve (Greek – latreuo). This Greek term originally referred to wages, then service in the worship place. It may be translated “serve” or “worship”. Committed service grows from a committed heart.

06-05-2023

“In that day you will say: ‘I will praise you, O Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.’ With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for you, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.’” (Isaiah 12:1-6)

Praise will be the agenda on God’s day of Salvation. Hebrew maidens sang as they drew water from their life-giving wells. These words fit well the messianic picture of chapter 12. They find their deepest fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the “Water of life.” The living water in God’s well of salvation can never be exhausted.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Dear Abba, the text from Isaiah, is a foretaste of what Heaven will be; it will be a prayer and praise fest to sing God’s praises in the Kingdom. Each time we come before you in worship, we ought to lift up all our praise and thanksgivings in response to all of the blessings we have received from God through Christ Jesus. Bless all those who are hurting in body, mind, and/or spirit, that they might set aside their issues and let You deal with them on their behalf, and accept their humble repentance of their sins Abba. For those in conflicts around the world with wars and natural disasters, pour out an anointing upon them all, that they too, might feel You near them and take comfort in that knowledge. Amen.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“God’s power is often imitated, never duplicated.”

KNOWING GOD:

“Sing for joy, O heavens, for the Lord has done this; shout aloud, O earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the Lord has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel.” (Isaiah 44:23)

This is a song of praise called, “The Song of Moses and Miriam) It is one of the earliest evidences of music in worship. It a song of praise and thanksgiving to God. From the beginning this has been a significant part of worship. Worship, beloved, is not a casual matter of observing as a spectator would be; rather it involves the personal activity of the worshiper. Praise is a positive, specific act of gratitude, in which the worshiper reaches out to God. We can define worship as pure adoration in which the redeemed person meditates upon the perfection and provision of God and praises Him. This is the natural response of believing individuals to God’s revelation of Himself.

SECOND THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying; ‘Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!’ Then one of the elders asked me, ‘These in white robes—-who are they, and where did they come from?’ I answered, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said, ‘These re they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, ‘they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple;and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will led them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:11-17)

Beloved, true worship moves from praise for God to service for God. Martyrs are assured their suffering will be eliminated in the new world. Jesus will be the Shepherd King protecting and directing God’s faithful who “come out of the great tribulation.

Sermon for Trinity Sunday – June 4, 2023

Genesis 1:1-2, 4; Psalm 8; 2^nd Corinthians 13:11-13; Matthew 28:16-20

Today is Trinity Sunday. God, Son, and Holy Spirit, what do you think when you hear the Term? I think that if each one of us were to explain the Trinitarian God that we serve, we would end up with a lot of differing pictures. God could have created us all the same, but wouldn’t that be too much? The really cool thing is that He didn’t make us all the same, for it is in our differences, that makes us special! He could have us rise with the same sunrise every single day, but we would tire of the same thing; same with sunsets, too! He wows us with sunrises and sunsets that take your breath away. Why, because it reminds me of the creation story, which comes from our Genesis reading and how God creates one step at a time and then He stands back and says, “This is good!”

Psalm 8 focuses on praising the glory and power still expresses His concern for us insignificant creatures. Go share glory and honor with us. We are told by the psalmist, who was just looking at the world, the nighttime sky the beauty of the earth, all the animals and birds, and the magnificent seas with fish of all kinds, mountains seemingly touching the heavens, the rains that come semi regularly, at least until the end of June and then stops and we once again bask in the bright sun beating down on us like we are on a grill. What I’m trying to say is that we all have an idea of the Trinity dependent upon the life we are experiencing. It is mysterious, communal, relational, just different, but that’s not bad, it’s just life that we experience, Let’s look a little deeper. We hear “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, which is the most orthodox. Our Presiding Bishop Curry will almost always use the terms: “Loving, Liberating, and Life-giving, in his sermons, that I love.” You ask why, because it allows us to be different, yet the same.

From the Gospel reading from Matthew today, we zoom into a moment where Jesus is commissioning his disciples to make more disciples. He tells them, 敵o therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.�Jesus sends them to all nations, knowing full well that each nation is saturated in its own culture, language, tradition, and family systems. That is, each nation is different. By uniting different nations into following one Christ, Jesus is inviting the church into tension, into relationship, into the joy of difference. But he commands his disciples to baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit�- another community that contains tension, relationship, and joy of difference.

God’s very essence as the Trinity is to model togetherness. As the Council of Nicaea declared, and we affirm in the Nicene Creed, both the human Jesus and God the Parent are “of the same substance.” All disciples, of every tribe, tongue, and nation, are baptized in the name of the same Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And among each of them is the power of the Christ, to the end of the age.

Because God created the world with diversity, Jesus walked alongside people of all backgrounds and wounds because the Spirit is in all of us – and even went so far as to communicate in languages of all kinds at Pentecost – God understands difference. God understands relationship. God understands community. God understands diversity.

Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth, states that the members should 殿gree with one another, live in peace�greet one another with a holy kiss.�It痴 a lovely image, a community at peace and in agreement. He undoubtedly wrote this encouragement because things were not so in the church. Divisions, opinions, personalities, and traditions so easily divide us, creating a community with tension and conflict instead of peace and agreement. We are not a people of sameness, and that often creates conflict.

As Christians of diversity, it can be easy to claim that God is on our side, especially when we find friends who agree with us. It takes humility to engage with and allow ourselves to be transformed by someone different than us, to posture ourselves with enough vulnerability to greet someone across the aisle with a holy kiss. God gave us freedom, and so God allowed conflict. God-made relationships and diversity creates conflict, and that痴 alright. But to achieve harmony and relationship, we need openness, listening, and love. What did Jesus preach, live, and teach? Relationship. What does the Holy Spirit move us to do? Relationship. And what does the Creator inspire over and over us in the accounts of the divine? Relationship. The Holy Trinity creates, models, and exists in community, just as we ought to do as Trinitarian Christians.

In closing, we were not created to be robots; to look the same, talk the same, or see everything as everyone else sees it. We are Christians, which means we will disagree sometimes, but our love for God and each other is never to be set aside. The Triune God, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit provides for us, comforts us, and guides us in our everyday lives. Do you let Him into your daily life. Amen.

06-02-2023

“In its essence sin perverts good things. Real and genuine worship can be perverted into false worship. We are always in danger of placing some person or object in the place of supreme worship that belongs only to God. That is precisely why God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham’s obedient response showed that God was more important to him than even his only son Isaac. In Scripture, worship always had God as the object. The manner and attitude of worship is to be reverential. False worship is worship done improper way, with an improper attitude, or to an improper object.” (1^st Samuel 13:9-14)

Political leaders are not and must not presume to be God. Samuel had explained the “regulations of the kingship” and had solemnly placed them “before the Lord”. Prayer and worship must be done in the will of God, not at the whim of a ruler. All human power structures stand under God’s control and judgment. God expects leaders to seek and obey His will, just as he does of all His people. When they do not, they face His punishment. Saul’s disobedience of God’s command led to the loss of his kingdom.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Dear Abba, today we recognize your warning of improper or false worship. Sin leads to Your intervention in human affairs whether in the life of an individual or in the life of a nation. You never ignore sin. Instead, you forgive the repentant sinner and either wait patiently on or bring judgment against the unrepentant sinner. Lord today, we each open our hearts and minds to you and seek your forgiveness for sins known and unknown, and recommit ourselves to not sin again, and ask for Your mercy and grace in forgiving us those we offer up to You this day. Bless all those who are hurting in body, mind, and/or spirit, that they might set aside their issues and let You deal with them on their behalf, and accept their humble repentance of their sins Abba. For those in conflicts around the world with wars and natural disasters, pour out an anointing upon them all, that they too, might feel You near them and take comfort in that knowledge. Amen.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“I would rather attempt something great for God and fail, than attempt to do nothing and succeed.”

KNOWING GOD:

“For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—-these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the Great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer punishment of eternal fire” (Jude 1:4-7)

Continual sin results in a depraved attitude toward others and will cause those who are caught up in it even to deny the grace of God. False Christian teachers do not directly deny the grace of God, but they do so indirectly by changing definitions of God’s action toward and expectation of His people. They take God’s grace to mean all sins will automatically be forgiven. They say sin gives more opportunity for God to reveal His grace. This would mean Jesus is not Lord and Master of our morals. His teachings would have no authority over us. Immorality under any theological disguise is still sin! Refusing to live like Jesus is depravity and self-centeredness. Their will be a judgment day, beloved, and many will be told, “depart from me, for I know you not.” Neither unbelievers in the Exodus generation nor sinful angels could escape God’s judgment. How much less members of the human family. God’s power keeps the wicked beyond death to to the final judgment. The “great day” expresses thought similar to that of the future “day of the Lord.” The utter destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is an example of the punishment in a hell of eternal fire. Scientists have found what was left of Sodom and Gomorrah, little bits of two former great cities that were destroyed. There is nothing left of those cities, just tiny bits, hardly recognizable in the sand where once those cities stood tall. God did not forget those people and he won’t forget anyone else either.

SECOND THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“Since you have died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.” (Colossians 2:20-23)

So, we are at the end of today’s meditation, which has been hard to write and even harder to read or hear. Let me just ask you a question, when you enter your church to worship, have you cleared your mind of those you have problems with and made up with them? If not, why not? Do you hear the voice of God during worship or are you listening to the great Deceiver, Satan, who loves to tell you lies and make you believe a little lie is ok, when you know that he is not true? Do you walk into the sanctuary or worship area talking and laughing instead of preparing yourself to hear God speak to you in a sermon or a song or is there a moment in the sermon, that you feel God is speaking directly to you? Try to make yourself ready to truly worship and see what difference it has made upon you.

06-01-2023

“So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—-to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul—-then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains.” (Deuteronomy 11:13-14)

The people were seeking God to bless them with seasonal rains for crops to grow and flourish and they called on Him to remember what He had done to their forefathers. In response, He reminds them to obey the commands He was giving them that day, to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul. Beloved, He was asking them to fear Him (reverential fear) and to keep His commandments. God then reminded them of what He did to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, the Reubenite, when the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, their tents and every living thing that belonged to them, for disobeying Him. God is a loving God, seeking to take care of His people, but we must obey His commandments, and serve only Him and no other gods, and in return He would bring seasonal rains to water the earth, the crops, the lakes and rivers, and He will honor their prayers.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Dear Abba, in Your loving manner, You honor our relationship with You by providing for our needs, and our service to You is in response to our relationship with You Abba, for we love and serve only you. Bless all those who are hurting in body, mind, and/or spirit, that they might set aside their issues and let You deal with them on their behalf, and accept their humble repentance of their sins Abba. For those in conflicts around the world with wars and natural disasters, pour out an anointing upon them all, that they too, might feel You near them and take comfort in that knowledge. Amen.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“We are not made rich by what is in our pockets, rather by what is in our hearts.”

KNOWING GOD:

“With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does he Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:6-8)

Society must be built on God’s requirements rather than on human ambitions. Pleasing Him requires a person to be rightly related to others. Nothing we bring to Him will be acceptable apart from a life characterized by properly motivated justice in relation to others. Our actions must result in justice for all people, not special privilege for a few. Our hearts must love mercy rather than demand justice for self. Every act must come from a relationship to God, making Him Lord and us His humble servants. The people of God are to be loving and merciful in all of our relationships. Giving or offering sacrifices never substitutes for being a godly person who shows mercy to others and a personal commitment to God. Finally, Micah saw that it took more to please God than farm, barn, orchard, or human sacrifices. Moe than externals, God wants persons to have fellowship with Him and with one another. We see here the futility of ritualistic worship which thinks divine favor can be obtained by sacrificial offerings to God. Spiritual change and moral transformation mark the atonement of God’s people.

SECOND THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan!’ For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” (Matthew 4:10)

True service to God is characterized by committed and obedience. To worship (Greek proskuneo) means to fall down with face to the ground in humble adoration. The outward act expresses an inward attitude of reverence and humility. To worship is to serve (Greek latreuo). This Greek term originally referred to wages paid laborers. It came to mean service without wages, then service in the worship place. Genuine worship involves committed service and committed serve grows from a committed heart. This scene is where comes from when Satan tempted Jesus and He quoted Deuteronomy 6:13 saying, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” And the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

05-31-2023

“John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a lether belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. But when he saw many of he pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves,’We have Abraham as our father.’ But John tried to deter him, saying, ‘I need to be baptied by you, and do you come to me?’ Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was abptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of Gd descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:4-17)

The most direct background and source of Christian baptism is clearly the baptism of John the Baptist. He baptized faithful Jews as a sign of repentance and preparation for the coming Messiah. All of the elements in John’s baptism are taken into the later interpretation of Christian baptism: 1) call to repentance; 2) confession of sins; 3) bearing fruits as evidence of changed lives; 4) warning of coming judgment; and 5) the coming One (Messiah baptizing with the Holy Spirit. If John’s baptism was connected with repentance, why was the sinless Jesus baptized? Jesus ‘ explanation, “to fulfill all righteousness,” meant that He approved of John’s ministry and message, identified Himself with sinners as their Sin-bearer, and was anointed by the Holy Spirit for His messianic mission. Both the voice from heaven and the coming of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus influenced the understanding of later Christian baptism, as we can see throughout the Book of Acts. The coming of the Spirit was associated with baptism, as was the confession of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Dear Abba, baptism is progressing each time a baptism took place, but it was important to include all of the additions, the formal portions of the act of baptism and especially the inclusion of all in Jesus’ name. You must repent of your sins and then are baptized, sealed with blessed oil as Jesus’ own, and you receive the Holy Spirit. Bless all those who are hurting in body, mind, and/or spirit, that they might set aside their issues and let You deal with them on their behalf, and accept their humble repentance of their sins Abba. For those in conflicts around the world with wars and natural disasters, pour out an anointing upon them all, that they too, might feel You near them and take comfort in that knowledge. Amen.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“Don’t sacrifice the eternal on the alter of the immediate.”

KNOWING GOD:

“Now some pharisees who had been sent questioned him, ‘Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Eliah, nor the Prophet?’ ‘I baptize with water,’ John replied, ‘but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’ This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The new day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world; This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ Ii myself did not know him, but the reason I cam baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.’ Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spring come down and remain is he who will come down and remain on him.” (John 1:24-33)

One of the main elements in John’s message was the announcement of the Messiah (Anointed One) who was coming after him and would be anointed with the Holy Spirit. This great distinction was further emphasized by the difference in their baptisms: John was baptizing in water, but the coming One would baptize with the Holy Spirit. Two additional things are made clear in these verses 1) John cam baptising in water so that the Messiah might be revealed to Israel; and 2) John recognized the Messiah because the Holy Spirit came down like a dove and remained on Him. This is the plainest statement we have as to why John baptized. He was and is the most powerful witness to the messiahship of Jesus as the Son of God.

SECOND THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locust and wild honey. And this was his message: “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’ At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descendin on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “you are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’” (Mark 1:4-11)

Matthew mentioned that John preached repentance and required evidence of it in order to baptize his convert. Mark used the specific phrase “Baptism of repentance.” “Repent” means to “turn around” in both Hebrew (shub). Thus. Baptism became for John and for later Christians a sign of turning one’s whole life around and directing it toward faith in God.

05-30-2023

“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will received the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—-for all whom the Lord our God will call.’ With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ Those who accepted his message were baptized and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” (Act 2:38-41)

Peter’s sequences are important: first repent of sins, and then be baptized. The answer Peter gave is confirmed by Luke’s comment in v41 that those who received his word were baptized. Baptism was the public act of confession of Chris in whose name they were baptized. Forgiveness of sins was and is the goal. Repentance and confession of Christ’s name are the way. Baptism is the outward public symbol of repentance and confession. With repentance and baptism they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise of the Spirit is for all whom the Lord will call, for them and their children, and for all who are far off. The Spirit anointed Jesus at His baptism. Beginning at Pentecost, the gift of the Spirit was associated with the baptism of Christianity. The persons baptized must have repented and received the Word. The meaning is that their sins had been forgiven, and they had received the Holy Spirit.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Dear Abba, baptism is the outward act of an inward belief. You must repent of your sins and then are baptized, sealed with blessed oil as Jesus’ own, and you receive the Holy Spirit. And on that day 3,000 men, women, and children were added to the number at the church. Bless all those who are hurting in body, mind, and/or spirit, that they might set aside their issues and let You deal with them on their behalf, and accept their humble repentance of their sins Abba. For those in conflicts around the world with wars and natural disasters, pour out an anointing upon them all, that they too, might feel You near them and take comfort in that knowledge. Amen.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“A greatful mind is a great mind.”

KNOWING GOD:

“Paul and Silas were in jail but were praying and singing hymns when a violent earthquake shook the prison and all chains came loose and doors were opened. The jailer woke up, saw the door opened and grabbed his sword to kill himself, thinking the prisoner had escaped, “But Paul shouted, ‘Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—-you and your household.” Then he spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—-he and his whole family.” (Acts 16:31-34)

The appeal of Paul and Silas on the grounds of their Roman citizenship provided a good example of making the government watch out for its citizens, part of its God-ordained responsibility on behalf of justice. Governments should establish a system of justice that prevents punishment of people for carrying out religious and evangelistic activities. Free exercise of religion should be every citizen’s right. This scriptural standpoint is not shared, however, by systems which do not recognize God. In such societies Christians need to work to change the system while being prepared to endure the legal punishments of the system.

SECOND THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.” (Acts 18:8)

Always the order is absolutely important: first, believe in the Lord; then, be baptized. Baptism was the outward expression of he inward belief. In the case of Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, his entire household was not baptized because he believed. Rather, as Luke says, he and his entire household believed in the Lord. Because of this belief in Jesus, they were baptized.