Matthew 12:21 “And in His name Gentiles will trust.”
All of Scripture is given by Holy Spirit for our learning. The Bible includes the good, the bad and the downright ugly of the human experience. We can learn from the mistakes that were made in their journey. The Son of God, Jesus Christ, in His birth, death and resurrection overcame all the sins of the world. In Him we have hope. God’s banner over us is His love manifested in His only begotten Son.
Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
Jesus, the name above all names. John 3:16 Carla
Romans 15:12-13
And again, Isaiah says:
“There shall be a root of Jesse;
And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles,
In Him the Gentiles shall hope.”
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In the original context of this quotation from Isaiah 11:10, the root of Jesse refers to an individual ruler from the Davidic line. Paul’s quotation comes from the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament), which emphasizes that the root of Jesse will rule the nations and provide them with hope. For Paul, Jesus is the root of Jesse—the Messiah from David’s line—who rules over both Jewish and non-Jewish people (Jews and Gentiles). Faithlife Study Bible
Jesus Christ became a servant to the Jews for two purposes: (1) to confirm God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and (2) to demonstrate God’s mercy to the Gentiles so that they might glorify Him. Paul cites four passages from the Old Testament to prove that God intended the Gentiles as well as the Jews to glorify Him.
In Romans 15:8-13 Paul quotes from all three divisions of the Old Testament (the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms or Writings), and from three great Jewish leaders (Moses, David, and Isaiah), to demonstrate that God’s purpose was always to bless the Gentiles through Israel. Although the nation of Israel has been set aside for the present (11:1–31), both Jews and Gentiles are being brought together in the church (3:1–12; Ephesians 2:14–22). The root of Jesse is a title for the Messiah. Jesse was the father of David, and the Son of David was the promised Messiah. The NKJV Study Bible
Isaiah 11:10
“And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse,
Who shall stand as a banner to the people;
For the Gentiles shall seek Him,
And His resting place shall be glorious.”
Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Revelation 5:5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”
1 Corinthians 2:4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
When life feels heavy, and our world feels daunting, we need reminders that there is a power, filled and fueled by grace, and mercy, and hope.
A power that is greater than despair.
A power that is greater than cruelty.
Somedays I hear the reassurance—of grace and hope—in a story. Somedays it is a poem. Somedays it is a song. And today I’ve been humming and singing one of my favorites. And yes, gratefully letting the tears flow.
“Reach out your hand, if your cup be empty
If your cup is full, may it be again
Let it be known there is a fountain
That was not made by the hands of men”
The song is Ripple, by the Grateful Dead
And I smile big when I hear some people’s reactions. “Really? This kind of song from a rock and roll band?”
And I say, “Yes, indeed. And amen.”
"Ripple," explores our life as a journey, grounded by our interconnectedness (we are walking one another home), and the impact of actions—of kindness and gentleness—even the small ones, that can change the world around us.
And I love the enduring power of music—it takes root inside and when you sing it, you let the song and story and light spill.
The lyrics sound like a good homily or sermon, or even a timeless cosmic hymn right? Well, it’s known that Jerry Garcia (song author and lead singer) once commented that he thought he was a Presbyterian minister when singing it. It was like a “spiritual” to him.
It makes sense when you learn that on a typed draft of the song that has been discovered, there’s an unused verse:
“The wisest man is but a pilgrim
He will not claim to know the way
He will not promise dreams of glory
His words are few and his ways are kind”
Sabbath Moments
Expectant God
The heavens can no longer hold your abundant love,
So you pour out the gift of your embodied self
Relinquishing the beauty of your majesty,
To adorn the pale colours of our humanity.
Choosing to enter into this world in a place of scarcity and need.
Reveal to us this hidden world
of poverty,
of refugees,
of suffering.
As you choose this as the place of your birth
Let us choose this to be the place of our rebirth.
Rebuild us,
Transform us,
Make us anew.
We ask this through Christ our Lord,
Amen.
Kieran O'Brien
If people dismiss or despise us as Christ followers, it shouldn't be because our actions do not line up with our message. When we live sincerely for Christ, our lifestyle will draw people toward the Good News. First5
Daniel 2:34-35 You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
The stone was cut without human hands. Jesus was miraculously conceived and only He can overcome the evil power of the flesh. The love of money that rules our world will be crushed. But then the Christ in His second coming will fill the whole earth.
Zechariah 14:3-4
Then the Lord will go forth
And fight against those nations,
As He fights in the day of battle.
4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,
The Lord will fight against the monetary system that man has created. Then the Lord will be King over all the earth. He will restore earth as it was meant to be in Garden of Eden. His love shall prevail over all of the earth. Carla
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