Isaiah 2:2-4 The later days!

Isaiah 2:2-4 

Now it shall come to pass in the latter days

That the mountain of the Lord’s house

Shall be established on the top of the mountains,

And shall be exalted above the hills;

And all nations shall flow to it.

Many people shall come and say,

“Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

To the house of the God of Jacob;

He will teach us His ways,

And we shall walk in His paths.”

For out of Zion shall go forth the law,

And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

He shall judge between the nations,

And rebuke many people;

They shall beat their swords into plowshares,

And their spears into pruning hooks;

Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

Neither shall they learn war anymore.

The Kingdom of God, as promised to Abraham and David, will bring peace and justice to all nations on Earth. People from all walks of life will flock to Jerusalem to worship Jesus Christ, who will rule with love and compassion. It will be heaven on Earth, and all the darkness will be vanquished! 

Daniel 12:4-13 

“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

Then I, Daniel, looked; and there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that riverbank. And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?”

Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.

Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?”

And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.

“And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.

“But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.

The end by God will come in His perfect timing, and we can’t predict when it will  happen. But Prophecy is and will always be fulfilled in Christ. 

Deuteronomy 30:1-6 Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God drives you, and you return to the Lord your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, that the Lord your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you. If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you. Then the Lord your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

3500 years ago, the Bible predicted that all the nations where the Jews were scattered would eventually return to their homeland.  Prophesy was fulfilled in our lifetime. The ultimate return of Jesus is going to be an incredible day of joy and celebration! Until then, let’s cherish the life we have been given by God and use our resources to support our churches and help those in need. Remember, we’re all part of the same creation, and we should love and appreciate each other for who we are...God's creation. Carla

From Jewish tradition we learn our job title; Tikkun olam. Literally, repair of the world.

The word olam also means hidden. We need to repair the world so that its Creator is no longer hidden within, but shines through each thing in magnificent, harmonious beauty.

As a gardener this makes perfect sense. It’s all about the dirt. Nutritious or nutritive soil creates and generates life. Toxic soil does not. Fertility is stifled, because the nutrients have been leached.

Tikkun, to repair the soil of the world with nutrients: kindness, a balm of generosity, a capacity to accommodate fragility, and a softness of spirit. What Eve Ensler called, “The daily subtle simple gathering of kindness.”

Choosing (working) to heal (Tikkun olam) isn’t only for the spiritually or intellectually inclined.

Choosing to heal is in our DNA. As children of our creator, we are healers.

In kindness, we affirm dignity.

In empathy, we see value and build connections.

With compassion and justice, we right wrongs and create sanctuaries. Sabbath Moments 

Satan rejoices in making us think the gospel is more complicated than it really is. But any teaching is actually demonic if it suggests that salvation requires something more than faith in Jesus' perfect sacrifice. Let's remember the truth: Jesus is "the founder and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). He is all we need. First5

The people have voted!

God has ultimate control over all events. He permitted the rise of Adolf Hitler and the regimes of North Korea, China  and Russia, and the reasons for these events remain unseen. 

When we fail to keep the commandments of Jesus to love God above any person, place or thing and to love our neighbors, all of our neighbors, as we do ourselves He will bow out of His control He is the ultimate gentleman. 

It appears that we have joined the ranks of other non-Christian nations in electing a convicted felon and a molester of women as our President. Despite not condoning or supporting his character, I firmly support democracy. Therefore, if it is the will of the people, I will continue to pray for our leaders. The only positive outcome I can discern from this chaos is the end of the excessive political advertising that has dominated the news. Enough has been said, and we move forward with love for God above all and all of our neighbors, regardless of their location, as much as we love ourselves. God loves all of His creation and He alone can change the hearts of mankind. Carla

Love God and love His creation. Be kind to one another!

 It is Albert Einstein’s reminder, “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” 

Yes… so, here’s our paradigm shift: Who you are, makes a difference.
Today, I can choose to Be kind. To Be generous. To Be inclusive. To not demean or shame.
Because it does matter… Today, I can choose to say, you belong. To say, you are not left out, or on the outside. To say, you are not less than.
Today I can make choices for a world where inclusion and kindness and compassion and sanctuary are real. Realities planted and grown by gentle little choices.
Indeed. “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.”

Martin Luther King Jr.’s reminder does my heart good, “Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
What a reminder. Every choice to serve, is in fact, a heroic gesture, because that choice is born in a heart fueled by grace.

This week we’ll be telling stories about the freedom to choose to care. About hearts full of grace, that spill to the world around them. And, not one of these people woke up one morning, and said to themselves that they were about to do something heroic. It’s just that, when they had to, they did what was right: they chose to care.

“If you asked me who are my favorite people, I would tell you the ones who are filled with empathy, whose tenderness exists in them by nature, who wouldn't make a tiny effort to show kindness, because they glow with it.
The ones who know how everybody is struggling so they walk with grace in people hearts.
They are here to lend a hand, whisper a tender advice, fight a dark thought, draw a smile.
They are light weighted, they dive smoothly into souls with their gentleness, they would regret a word or a gesture they did accidentally if it has the tiniest possibility of hurting someone.
In their deepness, they wish everybody goodness and hope, they are eternal passengers who might not take a lot of attention, but they can never be forgotten.” (Thank you Yasmine Lasheen)

Mark 1:40–45 There is healing in His name!

If we only realized the power of Christ in us we would shout it to the rooftops..in Him we are offered salvation and we get the privilege of sharing Him with others.

Isaiah 1:16-18 

16 “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; 

Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. 

Cease to do evil, 

17 Learn to do good; 

Seek justice, 

Rebuke the oppressor; 

Defend the fatherless, 

Plead for the widow. 

18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord,

We can turn away from our mistakes and embrace the righteousness of Christ. By doing so, we can fulfill our purpose and live in harmony with others. God always remains the same - His commands to love Him above all and others as ourselves have never changed. If we truly follow these principles, we’ll fulfill all the ten commandments He gave us. God wants no one to suffer, but He offers us the gift of a right relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. Our choices have a profound impact on our lives - they either bring blessings or block God’s good for us. God’s mercies are fresh and new every morning, and He welcomes us back into His grace whenever we return. 

Romans 5:20-21 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The 10 commandments are like a roadmap to righteousness, but they’re just words on a page. They can’t make us change on their own. It’s only through God’s amazing mercy, grace, and the power of the Holy Spirit that we can truly transform and live a righteous life.

2 Samuel 7:12-16 

“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”

In Jesus, the seed of David, God will establish His Kingdom. He’ll build a royal house in that bloodline. God’s mercy shines through in sending salvation through His only Son, Jesus, ensuring His Kingdom will last forever. 

Galatians 1:6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,

Love is the essence of God, and without it, we’re  just making a lot of noise. We’re invited into the grace of Christ. Don’t let anyone taint the truth about salvation - it’s all about faith, not works. Our good works come from our love and gratefulness in His gift of salvation.Faith alone pleases the Father. Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and now sits at the right hand of the Father. In Him, we have a right standing with God in His glorious Gospel of Grace. Carla

Mark 1:40–45

40 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 43 And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 45 However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction. The New King James Version

The Greek word used here, lepros, identifies a person afflicted by a skin disease. Leviticus categorizes such individuals as ritually unclean and prohibits them from coming in contact with other Israelites during their illness. Jesus already demonstrated His ability to eliminate uncleanness when He expelled the demonic spirit at Capernaum (Mark 1:21–28). Now, a man with a different type of impurity seeks cleansing, and Jesus’ success confirms that God’s rule overcomes all obstacles to health and holiness. 

In a few ancient manuscripts, the Greek word splanchnizō, which refers to being moved with pity, replaces the term orgizō, which indicates anger. However, the substitution likely reflects a later change by a copyist, to avoid the difficulty of this verse. Jesus affirms His desire to cleanse the man, indicating He is not upset by the leper’s plea. He might be reacting in anger to the illness itself. The disease represents pain and suffering and also made a person unclean according to the law (Leviticus 13). Jesus’ physical contact with the leper, followed by His immediate cleansing of him, emphasizes that Jesus’ spirit of holiness is more powerful than the uncleanness generated. Rather than Jesus becoming unclean, He makes the leper clean. 

The first of many such requests that Jesus will make so people do not reveal His identity as the Messiah before the time intended by God. Most of these requests achieve the opposite effect: Instead of staying silent, the people broadcast what He has done for them, forcing Him to go elsewhere to minister. Jesus has already cleansed the man. Now, the priest must directly examine him to certify that the source of uncleanness has indeed gone. Faithlife Study Bible

Jesus was moved with compassion. He not only healed but touched the leper. How often do we see the need but remain unmoved and uninvolved? 

Scripture has over 400 passages admonishing us to care for the poor. 

After healing the leper, Jesus commanded him to say nothing to anyone. His demand for silence has several plausible explanations. (1) The report of Jesus’ healing the man may have prejudiced the priest who needed to pronounce him clean. (2) Jesus did not want to be known primarily as a miracle worker, so He often commanded those who received His healing to remain quiet. (3) The man’s testimony would possibly have hastened the confrontation between Jesus and the religious leaders.The cleansed leper did not obey Jesus’ simple injunction to keep quiet. As a result, Jesus had to remain in deserted places because the crowds swarmed to Him. The NKJV Study Bible

Matthew 8:2–4 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed…

 Jesus "came not to be served but to serve" (Matthew 20:28). Today, let's do the same. First5

We do make a difference in our world.
And the choices we make do matter.
There are days when I need to hear Mr. Rogers’ voice, “It's not so much what we have in this life that matters. It's what we do with what we have. The alphabet is fine, but it's what we do with it that matters most. Making words like ‘friend’ and ‘love’. That's what really matters.” (We could use more of Mr. Rogers in this world. Just sayin’.)
So, I wonder, how do we find the courage to choose what really matters?
What I do know is that each week I’m more aware of why struggles (anger or tears or sadness cropping up when I least expect them) make choices about what matters difficult. This is no surprise, with all the uncertainty and conflict in our world. I forget (or lose track) of the integrity of my inner Voice (what Marilynn Robinson called the “reservoir of goodness”).
We’ve lost the empowerment that comes from knowing that what is at our core (compassion, generosity, kind-heartedness, our capacity for connection) is greater than whatever change confronts or challenges us.
In other words, we have forgotten our best selves.
We have forgotten that we were made for this, one soul helping another.

Yes, we get to choose the kind of world we want to live in. Let’s begin with Helen Keller’s reminder, “I am one, but still I am one; I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; And just because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”
Taking Mother Teresa’s words to heart, “If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.”
Bottom line; gratefully, indifference is not an option.

Sabbath Moments 

"The plain fact is that the planet does not need

more successful people.

But it does desperately needs

more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers,

and lovers of every kind.

It needs people who live well in their place.

It needs people of moral courage

willing to join the fight

to make the world habitable and humane.

And these qualities have little to do

with success as we have defined it."

David Orr

Matthew 19:21-26 The perfect will of God in Christ.

Money itself possesses neither inherent goodness nor evilness. Its significance arises from the manner in which it is utilized. Money can be employed for malevolent purposes or for the betterment of oneself and others. The choice lies solely with us. It can be a blessing or a curse, depending on how we use it.

Deuteronomy 28:1-3 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:

“Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.

If we choose to listen to God and keep His commandments we are under His protection. We can always repent of our sins and turn our lives around to honor Him. We are blessed in our faith in Him to do what we cannot. In rejecting the Lord we are left alone to fend for ourselves. 

Matthew 21:12-16 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”

And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read,

‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants

You have perfected praise’?”

Jesus expelled all those who had turned His house into a den of thieves. They were exploiting the poorest believers for their gain. Carla

Matthew 19:21-26

21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” The New King James Version

The challenge comes from being overly attached to earthly goods. Jesus employs this ridiculous impossibility to capture His hearers’ attention and emphasize the great sacrifice necessitated by the kingdom of heaven. Jesus’ remarks in Matthew 19:23–24 reverse the conventional wisdom of His day. It was commonly believed that if someone was blessed with riches, they had God’s approval and were thereby assured of entrance into His kingdom of heaven. Faithlife Study Bible

Jesus’ comment about a rich man’s salvation would have been difficult for some Jewish people in this period to accept because they held to a form of “prosperity theology.” If people prospered, it was evidence of God’s blessing on them. Whereas verse 23 says it is hard for a rich man to become saved, verse 24 implies that it is as impossible as passing a camel through the eye of a needle. The NKJV Study Bible

Christ’s words show that it is hard for a rich man to be a good Christian, and to be saved. The way to heaven is a narrow way to all, and the gate that leads into it, a strait gate; particularly so to rich people. More duties are expected from them than from others, and more sins easily beset them. It is hard not to be charmed with a smiling world. Rich people have a great account to make up for their opportunities above others. It is utterly impossible for a man that sets his heart upon his riches, to get to heaven. Christ used an expression, denoting a difficulty altogether unconquerable by the power of man. Nothing less than the almighty grace of God will enable a rich man to get over this difficulty. Who then can be saved? If riches hinder rich people, are not pride and sinful lusts found in those not rich, and as dangerous to them? Who can be saved? say the disciples. None, saith Christ, by any created power. The beginning, progress, and perfecting the work of salvation, depend wholly on the almighty power of God, to which all things are possible. Not that rich people can be saved in their worldliness, but that they should be saved from it. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Matthew 13:22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

Luke 1:37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Our Savior is the ultimate example of service, sacrifice and faithful character that left even His enemies unable to form a valid criticism. Jesus teaches us how to lead with integrity and love. When we serve others like our Savior, His love wells up in our hearts, flows out of our homes, and brings a taste of heaven to a hungry, hurting world. Serving others with the passion and integrity of Jesus is our goal because, in the end, it highlights the way of the gospel. First5

In this broken world where hope is often tentative,
and courage is too easily vanquished by fear,
we give thanks that a holy presence has invaded our life.
As autumn leaves lose their luster,
and as a lengthening night draws near,
we are grateful that the light that has come into the world
is even now establishing in us a beachhead for kindness,
touching whatever we know of sorrow.
And we ask that that presence, that caress,
embolden us to be gracious to all whose lives we touch.
And may we know joy. Alleluia.
Martin Townsend excerpt Sabbath Moments

Colossians 2:9 says he did: “For in Christ there is all of God in a human body.” All God, all man. Don’t we need a God-man Savior? Max Lucado