Romans 15:4-6 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
All of scripture is for our learning that we may have hope. In the unity of Holy Spirit we will be guided into God’s will for us and others.
Joel was the first book of prophesy in Scripture. Written about 800bc it was an indication of what was to come for Israel.The whole of Israel will mourn for God’s protection in their lives and will see the One they rejected, Jesus, as their Messiah King.
Joel 1:12 12
The vine has dried up,
And the fig tree has withered;
The pomegranate tree,
The palm tree also,
And the apple tree—
All the trees of the field are withered;
Surely joy has withered away from the sons of men.
Joel was the first book of prophesy in Scripture. Written about 800BC it was an indication of what was to come for Israel. Everything was destroyed and only the barren land was left. The whole of Israel will mourn for God’s protection in their lives. Everything that Satan had laid waste to will be restored when Jesus, the King of kings and the Lord of lord, returns. His return will brings God’s will to the whole of His creation. In His reign there will be an abundance of peace. Not the peace of man but His peace of justice, mercy and grace. His return will come with shouts of peace, peace to the people of earth!
Joel 1:15 15 Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is at hand; It shall come as destruction from the Almighty.
The day of the Lord is used in the scriptures to describe the tribulation. It will come about in God’s timing. In the fullness of time God sent forth His Son that in Him the world could be saved. John 3:16-17 In the fullness of time God will send Him back into the world to reign forever. John 3:18
Psalm 2:1-12
Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us break
Their bonds in pieces
And cast away
Their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
6 “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.”
7 “I will declare the decree:
The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”
10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
It is a frightening thing to be held in contempt of the Creator. Because Israel rejected their Messiah and crucified Him they will be spoken to in His wrath. The remnant who accepted Jesus at His first coming will be protected and will reign with Him in His return. The secret hidden, the Gospel of Grace, will reveal the Body of Christ, and all of those who have placed their trust in Him. Carla
For whatever things were written refers to all of the Old Testament Scriptures. Here Paul reminds the Roman believers that Ole Testamant is a source of encouragement and instruction for Christians (1 Corinthian 10:11). With one mouth refers to unity among the believers. Faithlife Study Bible
Through patience (endurance) and the comfort (or encouragement) of Scripture, believers learn that they have hope. In this case, if strong believers are patient with the scruples of the weak, they have hope of being rewarded (14:10; 1 Corinthian 9:17, 24–27). The God of patience attributes to God the same virtues just ascribed to the Scriptures (verse 4), Paul prays for the unity of all believers. The NKJV Study Bible
Romans 4:23–24 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,
Romans 12:16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
Revelation 1:6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
2 Timothy 3:16–17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort
Cruelty and unkindness hurt my heart. And with an inundating loop of news stories, it is too easy to viscerally react, or somehow feel at the mercy of. And a part of me wants to shut down.
“Courage is one of the most contagious things you can imagine.” John Meacham said in an interview this week.
Yes. But what does courage look like? And please tell me, what can I do?
And here’s the deal: each and every one of us fashions a life by the choices we honor—or more fundamentally, by the doors we open, and the doors we close.
However, we must first open that door to our self, our own refueling, replenishment and rebirth. Only then do we realize that when we walk through that door, we say No to resentment and self-righteousness, and fear and indifference, and numbness and hopelessness, and hatred and despair.
"Count me in," I say, knowing full well that this will be easier said than done. Because, I tell myself, courage is not easy to come by.
When I was young, it was essential to verbally affirm your beliefs as a Christian. “I believe…” And yet; when and where there were opportunities to push back, when I saw people who were mistreated, or victimized, or demeaned, and I didn’t step up or step in, how is that an affirmation of my “beliefs”?
I can tell you that I deeply regret those choices. Saying nothing is also a choice. Thinking that my life was safe (sheltered) without having to “get involved” is also a choice.
So. Where will we go from here?
We can’t look away. We do have the power to make a stand—to speak out—for equality, mercy, compassion and human dignity and justice, even if it feels uncomfortable, because silence only allows hate to grow.
We can create…
Bridges for reconciliation and second chances and peace making.
Roads for mercy and generosity and justice.
Bandages for wounds and fractured spirits and broken hearts.
Sanctuaries for safety and prayer and hope.
Let us stay connected to our hearts. To a place where empathy and compassion are the compass to true north.
I was so grateful for this from David Brooks column this week in the NYT. “Many great moral traditions have always stood against paganism and rebutted it. If paganism stands for manly dominance, Judaism, for example, stands for piety, learning and strictness of conscience. Think of the words so highly valued in Jewish life: chesed (loving kindness), simcha (joy, especially communal joy), anavah (humility), tzedek (justice and charity), limud (study and learning) and kedushah (holiness). Those words lift us up to an entirely different moral realm…
For the Romans, the cross was a symbol of their power — their power to crucify. The early Christians took the cross as their symbol, too, but as a symbol for compassion, grace and self-sacrificial love.
Christianity is built on a series of inversions that make paganism look pompous and soulless: Blessed are the meek. Blessed are the poor in spirit. The last shall be first. The poor are closer to God than the rich.
Jesus was perpetually performing outrageous acts of radical generosity, without calculating the cost.” Sabbath Moments
No comments:
Post a Comment