Collossians 1:19-23

 Jesus Christ King of kings and Lord over all.

The ultimate proof of providence is the death of Christ on the cross. No deed was more evil. Yet God not only knew of the crucifixion; he ordained it. Everyone thought the life of Jesus was over—but God. His Son was dead and buried, but God raised him from the dead. God took the crucifixion of Friday and turned it into the celebration of Sunday. Can he not do a reversal for you? Max Lucado

Jesus has done His part. He is our mediator. Our reconciler. The One who has already atoned for our sins. But we must also confess our sins in recognition of how desperately we need Him. First 5

Lawrence Kushner suggests that the "burning bush" was not a miracle. It was a test. God wanted to find out whether or not Moses could pay attention to something for more than a few minutes. When Moses did pay attention, God spoke. The trick is to pay attention to what is going on around you long enough, to behold the miracle.
But then, Moses wasn't hindered by his iPhone. 

This week our world shook with the invasion of Ukraine.
And we were confronted with our sense of helplessness...
And our need for a paradigm shift. From big world to small world. You see, the big world feels, often overwhelming and outside of our ability to change or affect change. On so many big world issues people give up. “It’s not my problem, after all.” But the small world is right in front of me. And the small world invites me to be present for the sacred (burning bush). Which means I’m present to see people, before anxieties... people with faces and names. People with real tangible emotions, fears, exhilaration, joys and burdens. When I start with the person, I put down my labels or tendency to prejudge, now open to learning, growing, giving, caring, healing. Terry Hershey “Sabbath Moments”

2 Corinthians 5:18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,

Ephesians 2:14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,

Collossians 1:19-23

19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. The New King James Version

God is fully present in Christ. Consequently, Christ is sufficient for the Colossians’ salvation. This phrase echoes the glory of God filling the tabernacle Exodus 40:34. In the ancient world, people believed that deities lived on high places such as mountains. For example, when the Israelites entered the wilderness, God met them on a mountain. But God did not stay on the mountain; He instructed the Israelites to build a tabernacle—a dwelling place for Him to live among His people. God came down and filled the tabernacle with His glory as a sign of His presence among them.

The prophet Isaiah interpreted this cloud of glory as the Holy Spirit in Isaiah 63:11. 

This gracious act was God’s extension of friendship to the Israelites. The Gospel of John describes Christ as the tabernacle or the dwelling of God—an allusion that demonstrates the continuity between God’s presence among the Israelites and His presence in the person of Christ. 

The Greek word used here, apokatallassō, refers to the act of restoring a relationship to harmony. The purpose of Christ’s death on the cross was to bring all things created by Christ and for Christ into harmonious relationship. 

Christ was not an angel or a nonphysical being; He had a body, and He endured suffering and death in His body. By emphasizing Christ’s physical body, Paul may be combatting early gnostic-like influences that could have been at work in Colossae. Gnostics emphasized spiritual, nonmaterial reality over the material world, prompting some people to deny that Christ had a physical body. Gnostics wrongly considered material reality to be evil and sought to escape it through abstaining from worldly comforts and pleasures. While fully developed Gnosticism postdates the new testament, the beliefs Paul seems to be addressing here resemble later gnostic thought. It describes belonging to or being set apart for God. 

The Colossians cannot claim responsibility for their status before God; no human tradition or rule made them holy. Rather, Christ’s work of reconciliation brought them into relationship with God, making them holy. Since believers belong to God, they bear His image, which enables them to live out God’s command to holiness. Paul seems to be acknowledging that the Colossians are at a crossroads. He charges them to continue trusting in Christ and living out the gospel message. However, they must refuse to observe the rules and traditions of false teachings, which threaten to lead them in a different direction. They must remember that faith in Christ is not simply a way of entering God’s kingdom—it is the way of life within the kingdom. Faithlife Study Bible

John 1:16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.

Romans 10:18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.”

Ephesians 1:10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.

Life Church Vineyard

Pastor Lara Price 

Learning to Abide

Apart from being connected to God we will not grow in the fruit of the Spirit. Those fruit are meant to share with others.

God is calling us to abide in His Spirit. After we have been walking in obedience He calls us to enter in to a deeper relationship of living our life in His love. Jesus came that we could have an abundant life in Him.

John 15:5

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  The New King James Version

Abide: Means allowing His words to live in us. In good times and in bad He is our strength. Trusting, obeying and finding all we need in the vine…

How did Jesus abide in the Father? In immersing ourselves in the Bible answers will be found. 

If I want to experience the life of Jesus I must be willing to adopt the lifestyle of Jesus.

He withdrew often from the world and leaned into the Father.

He did what he saw the father doing.

Luke 5:16

16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

Luke 22:42-44

42 saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” 43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Jesus understands the stresses in our life. 

Jesus withdrew before making important decisions.

Luke 6:12-13

12 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13 And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:

Luke 4:1-15

4 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 being tempted for forty days by the devil.

14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. 15 And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

Mark 6:30-32

30 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. 31 And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.

Matthew 14:13-23

13 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.

We can withdraw from the world and tell God our needs and wait for Him. When we abide in Him we find peace.

John 5:19

19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.

Jesus knew that without abiding in the Father He could do nothing as a man. The Father invites us to participate in what He is doing. 

Who has the Lord placed in your path?

God will give us opportunities to tune in to His plans for others. The the Holy Spirit nudges us. Are we listening?

John 15:6

6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

I want to notice God  more in my life. To be aware of His presence. I want to say yes to the invitation He gives to share in His plans for His life in others.

The Tree Church

I thank the Master 

I thank the Savior

I thank (my triune) God

I will lift my song of praise for what You’ve done.

We need to use every resource that we are given, including worshiping in song, to stand. We do it because God is worthy of it. We fight our battles in gratitude for our salvation and what He has done in our life. There is power in our praise. 

Psalm 100

1 Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. 3 Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 5 For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. The \

The Power of Worship in our life.

Worship in its purest form it is making God the priority. It is a life style but it is also singing. He is righteous, pure and holy. He is worthy of all praise. Come before His presence with singing. 

God want us to use all the tools He’s given us to rely on him.

Ephesians 6:10-20

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

God has equipped us with every tool we need to overcome evil. Worship in singing is one of the tools He gives us. 

Singing praise is the process of humbling yourself and acknowledging God as the rightful ruler in our lives.

Exodus 15:1

15 Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying: “I will sing to the Lord, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! 2 The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

Music was always used as a primary teaching and record keeping. It can take us back to a specific time or memory in our life. 

Selfishness, greed anger and resentment are hard to keep when gratitude is our focus. We thank God for our very existence. He is worthy of our gratitude in every season. 

Nehemiah 12:27-29

27 Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings and singing, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps. 28 And the sons of the singers gathered together from the countryside around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites, 29 from the house of Gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth; for the singers had built themselves villages all around Jerusalem. 30 Then the priests and Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

It is easy to sing when life is going great. It is hard in times when it is not. There is something powerful in singing praise in time of trouble. In our transparency with Him in our weakness He is made strong. 

Mark 14:26

26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

One of last things that Jesus did after the Last Supper was to sing with His followers.

Concordance "Firmament”

I am getting ready to do a painting of the firmament later today. God confirms my studies that way…I love Him so!!

How great a God we serve who desires to communicate with us through  His heart Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. The New King James Version

Isaiah 53 is a beautiful prophecy of the Messiah, written by Israel's prophet Isaiah more than 600 years before Jesus Christ came to dwell among His people and offer Himself for the sins of all who would believe. Isaiah looks ahead to the Messiah, graphically describing the death of God's suffering servant. He was "crushed for our iniquities" and "the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:5-6). He was silent like a lamb when brought for sacrifice. (Isaiah 53:7) Isaiah says the Messiah was stricken for the sins of His people (Isaiah 53:8) even though "he had done no violence" (Isaiah 53:9). God has always been a God of grace. (Isaiah 53:11;  Ephesians 2:8) In the Old Testament, those longing to be reconciled to God looked ahead by faith to His promised Messiah. In the New Testament and beyond, we look back by faith to Jesus' finished work on the cross. First5 

Firmament

“Concordance Firmament”

Genesis 1:7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.

Psalm 150:1 Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament!

Daniel 12:3 Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.

The New King James Version

Yahweh created the heavens (referred to as shamayim in Hebrew) and the sky, expanse, or firmament (raqia' in Hebrew) to reveal His glory. People in the ancient Near East often worshiped the sun, moon, and stars as gods—something specifically prohibited by the Law—rather than the Creator whose glory they reflect. 

The Hebrew word used here for firmament, raqia', describes the vaulted dome that separates the waters above from the waters below. The psalmist may be envisioning praise from both earth and heaven.

This makes the connection between the resurrected servant here and the resurrected Servant in Isaiah 53:10 more explicit. Wise men are said to give understanding. Here, they turn many to righteousness. The two concepts are related and demonstrate how indispensable these teachers were—particularly in times of crisis. In addition to instructing, they modeled peace and hope for deliverance. The description of those who lead people to righteousness in this verse echoes language about the righteous servant solidifying the relationship between these passages. 

Faithlife Study Bible

The notion of upper and lower waters is somewhat mysterious. The language may simply refer to waters gathered in a liquid state and to moisture in the atmosphere. The division of the waters is another of God’s acts in bringing order out of disorder.

All of creation including the heavens reveals God’s glory and majesty. Firmament is another word for heaven. The vast expanse we see is testimony to the craftsmanship of God.

The intent is for praise to come to God in His dwelling in heaven. 

The wise not only understand salvation themselves, they also turn many others to the way of righteousness.

The NKJV Study Bible

Philippians 1:3–8

He that has begun a good work in you WILL complete it! Trust God in the power of Holy Spirit to give you a new heart and accomplish what you cannot. Joy in the journey gives us the strength to stay the course.

Holy Spirit will show us what Church, charities and missions to support. We need to listen closely and follow those nudging.

Just BELIEVE.

Philippians 1:3–8

3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, 5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; 7 just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. 8 For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. The New King James Version

Paul continually expresses gratitude for the Philippians and the benefits he received from them. The Philippians provided financial support that helped Paul spread the gospel message. Their partnership in his ministry is the reason he prays with joy. In Paul’s time, friendship meant that two parties of equal standing—in this instance, Paul and the Philippians—would participate (koinōnia in Greek) in an ongoing exchange of gestures for mutual benefit.

Paul first met the Philippian believers during a missionary journey through Macedonia. When he departed, the Philippians continued to support him financially. The Christians at Philippi seem to have aligned themselves strongly with Paul’s missionary endeavors. Paul did not always accept financial assistance from church communities, even those he planted. For example, the Corinthians also offered to help him financially, but Paul rejected their gift because they had not aligned themselves with his values or concerns; rather, they were interested in improving their own status by helping him. Paul is certain that the Philippians will progress in faith because God is committed to transforming them.

Philippians was written while Paul was in prison. Faithlife Study Bible

The tense of the Greek verb indicates that Paul was continually thankful to God for the Philippian Christians. Every time God brought them to his mind, Paul gave thanks. Joy, a prominent theme in Philippians, filled Paul’s prayers for the Philippians even when he interceded for their needs. 

Fellowship is a commercial term for a joint-partnership in a business venture in which all parties actively participate to ensure the success of the business. In the Christian community, the word expresses intimacy with Christ and other believers. In this case, Paul may be using the word fellowship to refer to the financial contributions the Philippians had given Paul from the first day until now. Immediately upon becoming Christians and continually thereafter, the Philippians had dedicated themselves to living and proclaiming the truth about Jesus Christ, and specifically to helping Paul in his ministry. Paul had become convinced some time in the past that God would complete His good work among the Philippians, and his confidence remained unshaken. Since you is a plural pronoun, the good work that God was doing was taking place “among” the believers rather than “in” any isolated believer. It expresses progress toward a goal and indicates that a time is coming when God will completely finish His work among the Philippian Christians. The ministry in which the Philippians participated continues (like a relay race) up to the present, and it will continue until Christ returns. 

Paul calls Christ’s return “the day of Christ” On that day, Christ will judge nonbelievers and evaluate the lives of believers. The word right conveys a sense of moral uprightness (in keeping with God’s law) and is often translated throughout the NT as “righteous.” In this context, the word indicates that Paul’s thoughts regarding the Philippians were in perfect accord with God’s will. 

Heart refers to the innermost part of a person, the place where one thinks and reflects. Since defense implies speech, we can be certain that Paul was not silent while in prison, but boldly spoke about Jesus Christ. Paul may have also been indicating that he would testify about Christ at his judicial proceedings. Defense and confirmation are the negative and positive aspects of Paul’s ministry. He defended the gospel against its opponents’ attacks, and he confirmed the gospel through powerful signs. The word translated affection literally means the internal organs, regarded by the first-century reader as the center of the deepest feelings.

Whereas the heart is the seat of reflection, Paul now speaks of his affection, his deep feelings for the believers. In modern terminology, Paul revealed that he had the “heart” of Jesus Christ. His feelings for the Philippians were like those of Jesus Christ, who loved them and died for them. The NKJV Study Bible

We must thank our God for the graces and comforts, gifts and usefulness of others, as we receive the benefit, and God receives the glory. The work of grace will never be perfected till the day of Jesus Christ, the day of his appearance. But we may always be confident God will perform his good work, in every soul wherein he has really begun it by regeneration; though we must not trust in outward appearances, nor in any thing but a new creation to holiness. People are dear to their ministers, when they receive benefit by their ministry. Fellow-sufferers in the cause of God should be dear one to another.  Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

John 6:29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

Acts 16:14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.

Isaiah 45:5-7

Jesus gives His peace to those who believe in Him and the sacrifice and salvation that God provided in Him. He offers not the peace that the world offers, but His peace, that brings us comfort in our trials and tribulations here on earth when the world says there should be none.

A Time to Be Silent
There must be a time when we cease speaking
to be fully present with ourselves.
There must be a time when we exclude clamor
by listening to nothing whatsoever.
There must be a time when we forgo our plans
as if we had no plans at all.
There must be a time when we abandon conceits
and tap into a deeper wisdom.
There must be a time when we stop striving
and find the peace within.
Amen.
David O. Rankin 

Not only are we meant to be at peace with one another, but we are also meant to be at peace with God. This concept is talked about throughout the Bible, including in Leviticus as Moses outlines the peace offering for the Israelites. There were many similarities to the burnt offering and the grain offering, but unlike the first two of the "pleasing aroma" sacrifices, the peace offering (also referred to as a fellowship offering) was established by God as an act of celebration. And He wants us to celebrate together!  The Israelites recognized their blessings came from God, and in turn, they wanted to honor Him. This offering wasn't made from obligation; it was given from a heart of genuine gratitude to God. This made it an even more of a "pleasing aroma" to God.

God is the Giver of all good things, and He gave us the most important gift when He allowed His Son to serve as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. Christ's death on the cross not only frees us from the Levitical system of animal sacrifices but also gives true and everlasting peace that can only come from God.

As we are reconciled to God and at peace with Him, we are also called to strive for peace with one another. First5 

Isaiah 45:5-7

5 I am the Lord, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, 6 That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; 7 I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.’ The New King James Version

God creates light and separates the darkness. This assertion indicates that the darkness, too, was God’s creation—it was not just there to begin with. In the same way, God is described as creating both well-being and calamity. Faithlife Study Bible

No other person or object can compare to the holiness and power of our living Creator. He is sovereign over everything—both good and evil. The symbols of light and darkness (are clarified by the words peace and calamity. The NKJV Study Bible

There is no God beside Jehovah. There is nothing done without him. He makes peace, put here for all good. He is the Author of all that is true, holy, good, or happy; and evil, error, and misery, came into the world by his permission, through the wilful apostacy of his creatures, but are restrained and overruled to his righteous purpose. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Psalm 18:32 It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect.

Isaiah 31:2 Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster, and will not call back His words, but will arise against the house of evildoers, and against the help of those who work iniquity.

Hosea 2:21-23

If we have the desire to give our children good gifts how much more does God want to give us eternal life with Him. Nothing can be compared to the gift of salvation that He offers in Christ Jesus…NOTHING.

This week we lost another bright light in our world, Paul Farmer.
I was inspired and buoyed reading Tracy Kidder’s Mountains Beyond Mountains. Kidder tells the true story of a gifted man who is in love with the world and has set out to do all he can to cure it. Farmer (Doctor, Harvard professor, renowned infectious-disease specialist, anthropologist, the recipient of a MacArthur "genius" grant, world-class Robin Hood) was brought up in a bus and on a boat, and in medical school found his life’s calling: to diagnose and cure infectious diseases and to bring the lifesaving tools of modern medicine to those who need them most.

And here's one of the part of the story that stayed with me. Many, here in the United States, openly criticized and questioned Farmer’s decision to spend time in places like Haiti (you know, because he could accomplish "so much more here", why waste it there), where he gave all of his time to seeing so few patients (travel, difficult terrain etc.). Time to Farmer where each, and every, patient mattered.
You see, Paul wasn’t keeping score.

“And I can imagine Farmer saying he doesn't care if no one else is willing to follow their example,” Tracy Kidder writes. “He's still going to make these hikes, he'd insist, because if you say that seven hours is too long to walk for two families of patients, you're saying that their lives matter less than some others', and the idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that's wrong with the world.”

Yes... Our invitation to see, measure, value and honor differently...Terry Hershey “SabbathMoments “

Hosea 2:21-23

21 “It shall come to pass in that day That I will answer,” says the Lord; “I will answer the heavens, And they shall answer the earth. 22 The earth shall answer With grain, With new wine, And with oil; They shall answer Jezreel. 23 Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; Then I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they shall say, ‘You are my God!’ ” The New King James Version

Jezreel meaning meaning “God will sow”; the symbolic name of Hosea’s first child. Earlier, the name “Jezreel” telegraphed disaster and destruction. Now, the image is positive: God will plant and rebuild Israel. Faithlife Study Bible

The heavens would provide rain for the earth; the earth would produce its fruit in turn. Israel is called Jezreel, meaning “God Plants,” because the Lord would replant Israel in the land. The NKJV Study Bible

From that time Israel would be more truly attached to the Lord; no longer calling him Baali, or “My lord and master,” alluding to authority, rather than love, but Ishi, an address of affection. This may foretell the restoration from the Babylonish captivity; and also be applied to the conversion of the Jews to Christ, in the days of the apostles, and the future general conversion of that nation; and believers are enabled to expect infinitely more tenderness and kindness from their holy God, than a beloved wife can expect from the kindest husband. When the people were weaned from idols, and loved the Lord, no creature should do them any harm. This may be understood of the blessings and privileges of the spiritual Israel, of every true believer, and their partaking of Christ’s righteousness; also, of the conversion of the Jews to Christ. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Isaiah 55:10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

Hosea 1:6 And she conceived again and bore a daughter. Then God said to him:“Call her name Lo-Ruhamah,For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, but I will utterly take them away.

Zechariah 8:12 ‘For the seed shall be prosperous, the vine shall give its fruit, the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew—I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these.

Luke 12:1.2.3.

There are consequences to calling evil good and good evil.

Jesus had the most condemnation and correction for the religious right. They were sure that they were in the right when exactly the opposite was the truth. 

Matthew 23:28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

"For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" (Psalm 51:16-17). 

Every one of us arrives with our own gifted form, with the shape of our own sacred soul. Parker Palmer observes, “Biblical faith calls it the image of God in which we are all created. Thomas Merton calls it true self. Quakers call it the inner light, or ‘that of God’ in every person. The humanist tradition calls it identity and integrity. No matter what you call it, it is a pearl of great price.” 

Here's the deal: When I see only scarcity, I miss the fact that every single one of us has been gifted with creativity, heart, love, passion, gentleness, helpfulness, caring, kindness, tenderness and a shoulder to lean on…

Eighty years ago (February 19), President Franklin Roosevelt signed the executive order that led to the forced removal and mass incarceration of about 120,000 Japanese Americans in 10 American internment camps. My prayer is that we learn from the high cost of being driven by fear, bigotry, and paranoia. Terry Hershey “SabbathMoments”

Luke 12:1.2.3.

12 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. The New King James Version

The Greek word used here refers to fermented dough that was mixed in with new dough and used as a rising agent. The small amount used in baking would permeate the entire batch of new dough. Leaven serves as an apt metaphor to describe the widespread effects of the Pharisees’ hypocritical teachings and actions. Jesus seems to be referring to the Pharisees’ hidden sins, which will be exposed at the final judgment. Faithlife Study Bible

Leaven here represents the presence of corruption. Unleavened bread is what the Jews ate at Passover. The corruption in view here is hypocrisy. Practicing hypocrisy is senseless because eventually all deeds—both good and evil—will be exposed. They will be proclaimed on the housetops. All secrets will be revealed by God. The inner room was a storeroom which was surrounded by other rooms; it was the most private part of a house. NKJ study Bible

Matthew 10:26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

Matthew 16:6 Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

Mark 4:22 For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.

Mark 8:15 Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

Life Church Vineyard

Catherine Burleigh Youth Minister

A life yielded to Christ

Yielding…

The theme in Genesis is obedience.

On our own we will never be our best self but off the throne of our lives and yielded to the Spirit we can accomplish His will for our life. We have to wait, pause and yield our will to His. 

The Spirit and the flesh cannot coexist. It is up to us to choose each day who is in charge.

Deuteronomy 30:15-30

15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16 in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

We have 2 choices. Obey or follow our own fleshly desires.

Roman 7:21

23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

We live in the power of the Holy Spirit and in Him we have all the guidance we need to obey!

Ephesians 1:15-23

15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Isaiah 64:4

4 For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him.

We need to pause and wait to hear from God before we proceed. 

Isaiah 40:31

31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint

Our God longs to act on our behalf when we yield to Him. Sometimes yields mean GO. 

Goodness in greek means active good.

Ephesians 2:10

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

We often want the rewards of obedience without the work of what He has asked of us. He will always love us but in His love we will learn obedience. The more we act in compliance to those things He tells us to do the easier our lessons will be learned. We will not always hear correctly but He will always value our attempts. 

God is the Creator and He alone has the right to direct and control. We just need to obey.

God provides for those who place their trust totally in Him! We step out in faith. 

Be still and know that He is God!! Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength.