tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30359144800051554392024-03-28T07:56:34.994-07:00Resurrection in the RustPastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.comBlogger695125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-21096034264257829532024-03-27T15:00:00.000-07:002024-03-28T07:56:01.738-07:00Do This: Mark 14:22-42 - Maundy Thursday<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Any time I’m at a formal dinner where’s there’s a tablecloth, a floral centerpiece, cloth napkins, and multiple forks, one thought always goes through my mind: <i>don’t spill anything. </i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One time, I was at a wedding reception in a country club when I reached for the serving dish of salad dressing, only for it to slip out of my fingers and spill all over everything, including me. It was a disaster, and so memorable that my wife and daughter have not allowed me to forget what I did.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Obviously, I should have been more careful, but accidents happen, and we all had a good laugh.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When Jesus sat down to eat his Last Supper with his disciples, he knew that something much more valuable than salad dressing was about to be spilled: and that was his blood. He knew that Judas Iscariot would betray him, that Peter would deny him, and that the others would abandon him to die alone. <o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3i-dtAzQMSSK1rFwaXBp5Io7eCw_uNmcbwDCzBL6_wrTdPkPuZPC6qZNsDvP6K4nWDfyAKtUBimOW5PZJ8IQ6ZiDAWVFfwPpoAbScnIvCtetv_N0J_byvvQA6EvB5o2Bfr8e8g2_8R0Z0jn2_wQDojJZ1gWxQxQYQA8krvRWjZ8JKxxlVl-wA7RBvSJLM/s2400/debby-hudson-qa74Yh6-xlc-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2400" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3i-dtAzQMSSK1rFwaXBp5Io7eCw_uNmcbwDCzBL6_wrTdPkPuZPC6qZNsDvP6K4nWDfyAKtUBimOW5PZJ8IQ6ZiDAWVFfwPpoAbScnIvCtetv_N0J_byvvQA6EvB5o2Bfr8e8g2_8R0Z0jn2_wQDojJZ1gWxQxQYQA8krvRWjZ8JKxxlVl-wA7RBvSJLM/s320/debby-hudson-qa74Yh6-xlc-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@hudsoncrafted?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Debby Hudson</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/sliced-of-bread-beside-goblet-qa74Yh6-xlc?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But still, he welcomed Judas Iscariot at his table. He gave him the bread. He gave him the cup. He washed his feet. And Jesus hurt for Judas, more than he hurt for himself. The same could be said of Peter and the rest.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s one thing to love someone who loves you back. Anyone can do that. But to love those who don’t love you back is divine. Only God’s Son could wash the feet of his betrayer. Only God’s Son could sacrifice his life for the unrighteous. Only God’s Son could love his murderers and pray for their forgiveness. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our duty tonight is to recognize the body and blood of Christ for what it is: Jesus emptying himself of everything and taking upon himself the fullness of sin, suffering, death, and hell, <i>for you</i>. God could give you the entire universe, but still, that would not be as much as what God is giving to you in Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is why this day is called Maundy Thursday. The word <i>maundy</i> comes from the same root of the words <i>mandate </i>or <i>command</i>. These are commandments: “<i>Take</i>; this is my body.” “<i>Drink</i>, this is my blood. <i>Do this</i> and <i>remember</i> what I do for you. <i>Do this</i> and <i>receive</i> what I give to you. <i>Take</i> my life-giving body and blood into your own body and <i>live in me</i>. Come to me and never be hungry. Trust in me and you will not thirst.” Nowhere else on earth can you get what Jesus gives you at his table, which is why you are commanded to come to the feast, and why no church or Christian should forget those who are absent. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jesus does not give you symbols. The bread and wine are not mere tokens to remember him by. Jesus gives you himself. And the nourishment you receive in this meal is the grace through which you fulfill the new commandment Jesus gives on this night: to love another as he loves you. By this everyone will know you are his disciple. Hearing his Word, then Eating and drinking is how Christ comes alive within you. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">All you need to do tonight is to come. Are you a sinner? Drink the cup of forgiveness. Are you hungry for life in a world full of death? Eat the bread of life. Are you scared for what the future holds? This is the feast of victory. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Come, just as you are, without one plea, but that his blood was shed for you: the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. </span><span style="font-family: Avenir Next LT Pro, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Mark 14:22-42 (NRSVue)</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” <sup>23 </sup>Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. <sup>24 </sup>He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. <sup>25 </sup>Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><sup>26 </sup>When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. <sup>27 </sup>And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘I will strike the shepherd,<br /> and the sheep will be scattered.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><sup>28 </sup>“But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” <sup>29 </sup>Peter said to him, “Even though all fall away, I will not.” <sup>30 </sup>Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, this day, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.” <sup>31 </sup>But he said vehemently, “Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And all of them said the same.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><sup>32 </sup>They went to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” <sup>33 </sup>He took with him Peter and James and John and began to be distressed and agitated. <sup>34 </sup>And he said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.” <sup>35 </sup>And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. <sup>36 </sup>He said, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me, yet not what I want but what you want.” <sup>37 </sup>He came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour? <sup>38 </sup>Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” <sup>39 </sup>And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. <sup>40 </sup>And once more he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to say to him. <sup>41 </sup>He came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. <sup>42 </sup>Get up, let us be going. Look, my betrayer is at hand.”</span><span style="font-family: Avenir Next LT Pro, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0271 Main St, Leechburg, PA 15656, USA40.62731 -79.603394612.317076163821156 -114.7596446 68.937543836178847 -44.4471446tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-91201612708097111122024-03-23T14:37:00.000-07:002024-03-23T14:37:34.092-07:00The Promise of Holy Week: Mark 11:1-11 - Palm Sunday<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How does love become hate? How does someone praise Jesus one day and curse him the next? How does worship turn into murder?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When the people welcome Jesus into Jerusalem, they welcome him as their Messiah. They were confident that Jesus would liberate them from their Roman oppressors and reign as king over a restored Israel.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8BBhtt_4M3CFwe_Qm6nJRqZSMMjgSwYXN_bZEksIkhycdPycCXnpl7l-uEj9ZN1RylsdDPecgCAmzj9lJb289QQVJ7UZQdoJWOaEKhnqEPWQ6dxC-v1CmQYYv5acJ8e0g4qDlDQMDgeIe0Ca6EOJAbma4OitiwuuhKreotbGUk7KHUA19q8io19aIvLxx/s2400/brooke-lark-7rIsBSxhiXM-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8BBhtt_4M3CFwe_Qm6nJRqZSMMjgSwYXN_bZEksIkhycdPycCXnpl7l-uEj9ZN1RylsdDPecgCAmzj9lJb289QQVJ7UZQdoJWOaEKhnqEPWQ6dxC-v1CmQYYv5acJ8e0g4qDlDQMDgeIe0Ca6EOJAbma4OitiwuuhKreotbGUk7KHUA19q8io19aIvLxx/s320/brooke-lark-7rIsBSxhiXM-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@brookelark?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash"><span style="color: #0000e9;">Brooke Lark</span></a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/palm-leaf-7rIsBSxhiXM?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash"><span style="color: #0000e9;">Unsplash</span></a><u><span style="color: #0000e9;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But Jesus does not do that. Instead of attacking Rome, Jesus attacks the abuses and corruption inside the temple. He overturns the money changers’ tables. He speaks parables against the scribes and chief priests. He even prophesies the temple’s destruction. </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Click here to read the Scripture text</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Unsurprisingly, this enrages the religious leaders, so much that they want to kill him. But they cannot—because the crowds adored him. But they were determined. They catch their lucky break when Judas Iscariot comes to them and agrees to hand Jesus over to them in exchange for money. </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">From that point on, everything goes according to plan. They arrest Jesus late at night, while he’s away from the crowds, praying in the Garden of Olives. They know they can’t put Jesus to death, so they manipulate Pontius Pilate into doing it for them. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yesterday, the religious leaders didn’t dare touch Jesus for fear of the crowds. By Friday, Pontius Pilate didn’t dare set Jesus free, for fear that the crowds.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It would be easy for us to lay blame for Jesus’s death on Rome, on the religious leaders and the crowds they manipulated. For centuries, Jews have been blamed for Jesus’s death, which is so wrong as to rise to the level of blasphemy. But to do that would be to miss a pivotal truth. Jesus’s crucifixion is not something we can blame on “those people.” Blaming others for Jesus’s death means denying our own sinfulness.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The story of Jesus’s death is, like it or not, a story about us—and the lengths we will go to get our way. We don’t want a Messiah who tells us we’re wrong when we’re certain we’re right. We don’t want a Messiah claiming authority over all aspects of our lives. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This all begs the question: what do we want a Messiah for? What do we want Jesus to save us from?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We think of idolatry as the worship of false gods, but idolatry can also consist of turning Jesus into the Messiah and Savior he’s not: one we remake in our own image, who thinks like us, looks like us, acts like us, believes like us, votes like us; who loves the people we love and hates the people we hate; and one we hope will reward us for our faith with health and prosperity. In that frame of mind, Jesus is not so much a savior as he is your own personal “Superman.” But what about a Jesus who exposes your unrighteousness? A Jesus whose ways are not your ways? A Jesus who demands that you love your enemies, pray for your persecutors, and forgive others their trespasses / debts? A Jesus who not only loves “those people,” but actually comes to you as one of “those people”?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The agonizing truth of Good Friday is that sinners crucified Jesus, of which you and I are one. We are the ones calling out for his death when he refuses to satisfy our demands. Our sins are the nails in his hands and feet. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But the promise of Holy Week is that the body we broke and the blood we shed liberates us from sin. The truth of Holy Week is the love Jesus has for you and all the world. Jesus showed us what love truly is by coming to earth and loving us when we do not love him back. Jesus showed us what love truly is by becoming so vulnerable as to be rejected and killed by us and loving us all the while we did it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When Jesus cried out, “Father, forgive them,” he cried out for you. Jesus died because we die. And Jesus descended into hell and rose again from the dead so that sin and death would not separate you from him. Jesus’s nail-scarred hands are open to embrace you as his own.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">From heaven to earth, to the cross to the grave, to hell and to Easter morning. For you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And when you are in helplessness and humiliation as he was, when you cry out to God in agony, he is with you then and there. He will save you from it or deliver you through it. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is the Messiah we wave our palm branches for: who saves us from our sin, who saves us in our suffering, who saves us in death, who saves us from ourselves. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!</span><span style="font-family: Avenir Next LT Pro, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0358 Main St, Leechburg, PA 15656, USA40.6263747 -79.601821812.316140863821154 -114.7580718 68.936608536178852 -44.445571799999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-3015230639864689632024-03-17T04:00:00.000-07:002024-03-17T04:00:00.379-07:00Rock Solid Savior: Mark 13:1-8 - Fifth Sunday of Lent<p><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Elizabeth was cleaning out our pantry the other day when she came across two glass bottles of hand sanitizer. This was the sanitizer produced by the Faber Liquor company at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, back when regular hand sanitizer was nowhere to be found on store shelves, along with toilet paper, butter, and ketchup.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I bought these bottles thinking that it was my only opportunity to have something my family desperately needed. Four years later, however, I never opened them. Worse, I have an entire case of these bottles in the storage room at First Lutheran. We will probably throw them away, </span><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fda-expands-hand-sanitizer-recall-least-75-brands-across-u-n1234246" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">because many of the hand sanitizers manufactured during the pandemic contain dangerous levels of wood alcohol, which is toxic.</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There were a lot of things I bought that I still have not used: disinfectant sprays, sanitizing wipes, and even more hand sanitizer. We can laugh about it now, but when the world shut down, it felt like the end of the world. It felt like we were living through the Book of Revelation in real time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yet, the pandemic pales in comparison with the calamities Jesus prophesies in our Gospel reading for today.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.666667px;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+13%3A1-8&version=NRSVUE" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Click here to read the sermon text</span></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jesus warns his disciples of wars and rumors of wars. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes and famines in various places. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">These prophecies, while dreadful, wouldn’t have caused any more alarm in the disciples than they cause us. We know to expect them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But one prophecy definitely stunned them: that the mighty Jerusalem Temple would be destroyed. “Not one stone will be left here upon another,” Jesus says. “All will be thrown down.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BOxOnvjITCfiOBqWcHF4zBM3KcAosiS331n1z3LW2Uy4_WH4o9TZcEol7vQmei-qzPD7Xa85C5_iPpr8l5qRmHv-UAF0a7BSuz2zLuYyMx9bK_gMXKWtBpMjwfl0oQlf94QB-ZDJBnflt3sfKPkIujMHZgtHH9qyD44zIIqYhmcoGbqpSLl77ngkKR5f/s3536/2643188658_08b819faa2_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2379" data-original-width="3536" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BOxOnvjITCfiOBqWcHF4zBM3KcAosiS331n1z3LW2Uy4_WH4o9TZcEol7vQmei-qzPD7Xa85C5_iPpr8l5qRmHv-UAF0a7BSuz2zLuYyMx9bK_gMXKWtBpMjwfl0oQlf94QB-ZDJBnflt3sfKPkIujMHZgtHH9qyD44zIIqYhmcoGbqpSLl77ngkKR5f/s320/2643188658_08b819faa2_o.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://flic.kr/p/52z2Uf" target="_blank">Prayer in Crack of the Wailing Wall</a> by Janine on Flickr. <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/" target="_blank">CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For Jews living in Jesus’s day, this was never supposed to happen. This was God’s dwelling place. Yes, it happened before, and it was the biggest disaster the Israelites suffered since Egypt. But it couldn’t happen again! That would be like saying that God is going to die.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">That, and the fact that the temple was massive beyond description. </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Temple" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The entire complex spanned 36 acres. The largest of its foundation stones weigh over 600 tons</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;">. It was “too big to fail,” just like God was too big to fail.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But that’s exactly what happens about 36 years after Jesus’s death and resurrection. The Roman armies invaded Jerusalem and destroyed <i>everything</i>, including the temple. Over one million Jews are said to have died, with tens of thousands of survivors enslaved. Persecutions soon broke out against Jews and Christians.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But first, Jesus will be arrested and crucified. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">From the disciples, we learn what fear and uncertainty can do to faith. When Jesus initially speaks of his death and resurrection, they’re distracted by which one of them is the greatest. When Jesus presses the issue, they don’t believe it will happen. Then, when Jesus is arrested, they are defiant. Remember how Peter cut off the ear the high priest’s slave? Quickly, they realized that resistance was futile. Peter denied Jesus three times to save his own skin. Then they ran off and hid. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thankfully, we’re not living in a time and place where Christians are persecuted. But that’s not to say that the world is any less dangerous. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Will nuclear war break out? Will there be another pandemic? Are we on the brink of another Great Depression or a second U.S. Civil War? Will we still be a church ten years from now? <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When fear takes the place of faith, you become self-centered. Our panic-buying habits from the pandemic tell us a lot: we grab onto whatever we can, and we fiercely guard what we have. We’re downright fanatical in how hard we try to keep things under our control. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you’re afraid the economy is going to tank or you may lose your job, you won’t be motivated to give. You’re not going to help your neighbor if you think your neighbor is a threat.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the years leading up to Rome’s destruction of Jerusalem, God’s people divided themselves into warring factions. Rome saw this and used it to their advantage. A house divided against itself will not stand.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At no point did Jesus ever promise us a safe, secure existence. Nations will rise against nations. There will be earthquakes, wars, and famines. Temples and churches will crumble and fall. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The good news is that your destiny is not bound to the fate of a building, an institution, an economy, or a country. Your identity is not bound to how secure you are in your job or how much money you have. You can lose your life but not your soul, because you’re a child of God. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you know what is the secret strength of the people of God? It is in our relationships. It’s in the ties that bind our hearts in Christian love. It’s the assurance that all will be well in the end because God is faithful. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As awful as the pandemic was, God was good to us. And we did a lot of good for each other. I have a greater appreciation for the strength of love than I did before. The Spirit has shaped us into a Body that cares for all its members, so that no individual or family must face the unthinkable alone. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">God has taken your prayers for me and my family and transformed them into the grace we need to care for my dad through his illness. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As we move forward into this new ministry partnership, I am excited to think of the possibilities that will become realities because we are people of faith, hope, and love. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hard times are coming. But these are the birth pangs of the life of the world to come.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As long as there is love, there is hope. As long as two or more will gather in Jesus’s name, there will always be a Church. As long as life endures, there is God.</span><span style="font-family: Avenir Next LT Pro, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0271 Main St, Leechburg, PA 15656, USA40.62731 -79.603394612.317076163821156 -114.7596446 68.937543836178847 -44.4471446tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-17594464158902625302024-03-10T04:00:00.000-07:002024-03-10T04:00:00.126-07:00The Widow's Might: Mark 12:38-44 - Fourth Sunday in Lent<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">For many years, a picture has sat on the shelf of my office. It’s a picture of the women from the sewing circle at my home church, and they invited me into the picture as they were about to send home a prayer shawl for someone who was ill.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My grandmother had been active in the sewing circle for decades, and they did some amazing work, making quilts, blankets, handbags, altar linens, paraments, you name it…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Most of the women in the sewing circle <i>were</i> widows. But their ministry wasn’t limited to shawls and blankets.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When my grandmother developed dementia, they made the 100-mile round trip to visit her. They constantly sent cards and gifts. They even made these beautiful photo memory boards that I’ve brought with me today. <o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXUxmSvPr5EqZDb4ONPlDsV-1PZOJte33QuykhjwU1WFDggy3MxFdjLt0X75j8lrT3fWCm2Nor5fKR2Qn2oB9mcA9xr4Xu7-IXSwxQZ5kUM7p5WSE-yqgv5wp9Pn8OHeyWQyFo5LtHoaHkNhmU2q3QjMqpV-37gff9sUJooP7AKBeAhggmWu33Tj0kUQW/s1920/danie-franco-o1PKM7-8AH4-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXUxmSvPr5EqZDb4ONPlDsV-1PZOJte33QuykhjwU1WFDggy3MxFdjLt0X75j8lrT3fWCm2Nor5fKR2Qn2oB9mcA9xr4Xu7-IXSwxQZ5kUM7p5WSE-yqgv5wp9Pn8OHeyWQyFo5LtHoaHkNhmU2q3QjMqpV-37gff9sUJooP7AKBeAhggmWu33Tj0kUQW/s320/danie-franco-o1PKM7-8AH4-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: start;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@dani_franco?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" style="text-align: start;">Danie Franco</a><span style="text-align: start;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/person-smiling-at-the-camera-o1PKM7-8AH4?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" style="text-align: start;">Unsplash</a><span style="text-align: start;"></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And it was during the meals they planned that my pastor and fellow church members encouraged me to consider a vocation in ministry.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They organized dessert auctions to help fund my seminary education.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When Elizabeth and I got married, they organized a second wedding reception for us in the church basement. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I could never put a price tag on all that ministry. Their works are truly <i>divine</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is why I can’t help but think of my grandmother and all these faithful women as I consider today’s Gospel. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jesus is teaching inside the temple, and there he warns his disciples to beware of religious authorities who demand people honor them. They devour widows’ houses and say long prayers for the sake of appearances.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+12%3A38-44&version=NRSVUE" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Click here to read the Scripture text</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then Jesus observes a poor widow contributing two small copper coins to the temple treasury; a paltry sum worth about one or two dollars in today’s money. Given the vastness of the temple industrial complex, this is barely a drop in the bucket. For the widow, this was everything she had.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Clearly, Jesus is indignant over the fact that she gave away all she had to fund an exploitative system, not unlike the many charities, churches, and preachers who fleece their flocks to fund lavish lifestyles. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But if this Gospel text inspires only anger, we’re missing the point.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the kingdom of this world, this widow and her gift are inconsequential. Nobody would miss her or her paltry offerings if she were not alive. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the Kingdom of God, however, she stands as tall and mighty as a California Redwood, while the corrupt religious leaders dressed in fancy robes are mere stink bugs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We get to see this widow, and others like her, as Jesus sees her: someone who is devoted to God, someone whose scarcity cannot hinder her generosity, someone whose vulnerability cannot diminish her strength. Seeing her, Jesus surely knew that widows like her would be pillars in his church. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's not hard for me to imagine a widow like her volunteering at the food bank or the clothing closet, teaching Sunday school, preparing meals for a grieving family, sacrificing the comforts and conveniences we take for granted so that she can make an offering every week at church. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But the widow is not the hero of this story. This is a story about God, empowering ordinary people to do extraordinary things. With God, simple gifts make a huge impact. With God, love prevails in the face of suffering and evil. This is the power of God revealed in the crucified Jesus, liberating the world from sin and death. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The beauty of belonging to the Body of Christ is that you get to see the self-giving love of Jesus in ordinary people. Not only do you get to see it, you get to be blessed by it. I hope this Gospel has reminded you of all the people whom God has used to make an impact on you. I hope their ministry to you is inspiring you to extend that same selflessness and grace to others. The Kingdom of God does not care if you’re dressed in fine robes or if people admire or respect you. What matters is what you do with what God gives you. What matters is having the love of Jesus alive in your heart. What matters is what you give away.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Be prepared for the Holy Spirit to invite you to give of yourself as the widow does. There will always be that voice in your head spouting off the myriad reasons why you shouldn’t give: “you don’t have time;” “that’s too much;” “you need that money more than they do.” Tell the devil, “Not today! Today, I’m going to do what’s right. Today, I will be mighty in faith! Today, I will trust God to do more with me and my meager gifts than I ever could, to help bring the world one step closer to the Kingdom of God.”</span><span style="font-family: Avenir Next LT Pro, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0358 Main St, Leechburg, PA 15656, USA40.6263747 -79.601821812.316140863821154 -114.7580718 68.936608536178852 -44.445571799999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-49528301159909809822024-03-03T04:00:00.000-08:002024-03-03T04:00:00.138-08:00Rejecting the Rock: Mark 12:1-12 - Third Sunday in Lent<p>There are few relationships that are more complicated than
landlords and tenants.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Landlords are often portrayed of as greedy villains, preying
upon those who cannot afford home ownership. In many cases, this is true. Numerous
homes have been bought up by corporations and out-of-town investors who care
nothing for the people living in their properties. All that matters is profit. They
let their properties to deteriorate into death traps; they throw poor families
out into the streets if they can get someone else to pay a higher rent. <o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_IFlpAgyJymA9UHQBxDRygqhZCUJIrT6owibDJX_ZyH9XIW-AVBUX1FjrPCrF50tgD6C3EfYMYrmDMl20tHNSs2p1mFp655ZzQ2TpHHom8PPLnThNrVjsGeAMpv4j5TjD1OqlL5UVx28IHWIg1KHHH795DSt7naGqq2SAopWNMIpTtK4YJAPdifd75ku/s960/cover%20photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_IFlpAgyJymA9UHQBxDRygqhZCUJIrT6owibDJX_ZyH9XIW-AVBUX1FjrPCrF50tgD6C3EfYMYrmDMl20tHNSs2p1mFp655ZzQ2TpHHom8PPLnThNrVjsGeAMpv4j5TjD1OqlL5UVx28IHWIg1KHHH795DSt7naGqq2SAopWNMIpTtK4YJAPdifd75ku/s320/cover%20photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/a-stone-building-with-a-stone-arch-and-potted-plants-hCaTqDPu36A" target="_blank">Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal">Not all landlords are like this, however. Elizabeth and I
have rented the same home for thirteen years, and we consider our landlord a
friend. He repaired our furnace and refrigerator faster than we could ever have
done as homeowners. Many of our church members own rental properties, and I
know, without a doubt, that they genuinely care for their tenants and want to
do the right thing.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But I also know that tenants can be more destructive than
termites. Several years ago, we had a neighbor who destroyed the inside of her
apartment by raising chickens indoors. It took nearly a year for the landlord
to rehabilitate the unit. He had to replace the carpets, the drywall, the
kitchen tiles, the cabinets, probably even the floorboards. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Her destructiveness pales in comparison to the tenants we
encounter in Jesus’s parable.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+12%3A1-12&version=NRSVUE" target="_blank">Click here to read the Scripture text</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A landowner invests heavily in a vineyard. He put a fence
around it, dug a pit for the winepress, and built a watchtower; then he leased
it to tenants and went away. When harvest season came, he sent a slave to
collect his share from the tenants. But they beat up the slave and sent him
back empty-handed. They do the same to the second slave the landowner sends.
The third one they kill. This happens repeatedly until finally, the landowner
sends his son, believing that the tenants will respect him. But the tenants
kill him, assuming that when they do, his inheritance will be theirs. <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Tenant farming is something that would have been familiar to
people in Jesus’s day. With Rome in charge, people’s lands often fell under
private ownership, either because those families could not repay debts, or they
could not pay the taxes imposed by the Empire and local authorities. Landlord/tenant
relationships were frequently hostile, and it was not uncommon for disputes to turn
violent.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But the landlord in the parable is no villain. His tenants
do receive a share of the harvest. He is extremely patient with them, despite
their persistent violent rebellion. Jesus makes it clear that the tenants are
the villains. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is a parable about us. We are laborers in a vineyard
that does not belong to us. That may sound like a raw deal until we realize who
our landlord is: one who is generous and patient with us. We also need to
realize who we are. We aren’t mere tenants; we are God’s children. Every day,
we get to share in the bounty of God’s goodness. Still, we treat what we have
and what we want with a sense of entitlement. We put our wants and desires in
the place of God and do whatever it takes to satisfy them. This is why our
world is in the dreadful state that it’s in. This is why our politics have
become so divisive and corrosive.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When we take and keep the fruits of God’s goodness to
ourselves, they spoil and rot. The evidence of this is all the food we waste,
all the stuff we throw away once something better comes along, and how much we
fight to get what we want. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When God sends prophets who condemn our evil ways, we reject
them and kill them. When God sends his Son to reconcile us to God and lead us
in the way of righteousness, we crucified him. Far from worshiping Jesus as Lod
and Savior, we treat him as a nuisance and an impediment to getting what we
want. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yes, God is patient with us, despite our persistent
rebellion. Nevertheless, this parable is a warning that we do not have forever
to keep rejecting God. God’s Kingdom is coming, and if we are laboring against
it, it will run us over. The Kingdom of God waits for no one. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But we can rewrite this parable. Everything belongs to God,
including our lives. God has put us on this beautiful planet he created. God
has claimed us as his own in baptism and promised that we will inherit his
kingdom. Every day, we enjoy the fruits of God’s goodness. The simple fact that
we are laborers in God’s vineyard is good enough. Trusting and obeying what Jesus
teaches us, we bear much fruit. There is more than enough of the harvest not
only to meet our own needs, but to meet others’ needs as well. In fact, the
love and joy we experience as God’s laborers draws others to join us. There is
no fruit that pleases God more than the fruit of a new believer. <o:p></o:p></p>
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<td></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table></span>When you walk in faith, hope, and love, you are close as you
will ever be to the Kingdom of God. Your life and your eternity have been
firmly founded on Christ, the chief cornerstone. Don’t reject the rock. Remember
<i>who you are</i> and <i>whose you are</i>. This is the Lord’s doing, and it
will be amazing in your eyes.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0358 Main St, Leechburg, PA 15656, USA40.6263747 -79.601821812.316140863821154 -114.7580718 68.936608536178852 -44.445571799999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-66221645192410590412024-02-25T04:00:00.000-08:002024-02-25T04:00:00.281-08:00The Eyes of Faith: Mark 10:36-52 - Second Sunday in Lent<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was driving down Route 28 with Elizabeth and Rebecca in the car.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">About thirty yards in front of me was a late model Volkswagen which began swerving. Through the back window, I could see that the driver was searching for something on the floor of the car. Whenever his head moved, the car swerved.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then, he began to slow down, so I moved into the left lane to pass. He must’ve realized that he was traveling below the speed limit, because he quickly sped up and I moved back into the right lane. And his frantic search continued.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Elizabeth and I looked on with bated breath, praying that this driver wasn’t going to crash. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, he exited, and Elizabeth noticed he was driving with his wrists on the steering wheel while texting with his thumbs. We questioned if he had dropped his phone while texting; hence all the weaving and swerving. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhLSGnS9x0vxL42QKno-6k23MRZlUtNhAiscpmkEyfS52XOKSfi2ydw1g4BDs9RjN4qidkqOqGqGPtUnoz6uGMkbBQ6XK13DMzNjd9-baD22WJPUWMZS5U0SLH8dOe-QjiFKtt_6Z63ZAjgMy4m98Rhdw8YA-cK7Uighjw7RD3Sgk_4XUO-QkgSfRlpIE/s960/20240225%20Sermon%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhLSGnS9x0vxL42QKno-6k23MRZlUtNhAiscpmkEyfS52XOKSfi2ydw1g4BDs9RjN4qidkqOqGqGPtUnoz6uGMkbBQ6XK13DMzNjd9-baD22WJPUWMZS5U0SLH8dOe-QjiFKtt_6Z63ZAjgMy4m98Rhdw8YA-cK7Uighjw7RD3Sgk_4XUO-QkgSfRlpIE/s320/20240225%20Sermon%20Cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">JESUS MAFA. Jesus cures the man born blind, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=48383 [retrieved February 24, 2024]. Original source: http://www.librairie-emmanuel.fr (contact page: https://www.librairie-emmanuel.fr/contact).</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This driver may as well have been blind because he was more focused on his phone than on the road.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My driver’s ed teacher taught me that the number one thing people say after a collision is: “<i>I didn’t see them.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The fact that you have eyesight does not mean that you will see everything. You must focus your attention to see.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At the same time, I’ve known people with blindness to be quite perceptive and aware of their surroundings. They hold regular jobs, they play musical instruments, they walk through town with the help of seeing-eye dogs. Their other senses are so sharp that they see without eyesight. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+10%3A36-52&version=NRSVUE" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Click here to read the Scripture text</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bartimaeus, a blind man, saw Jesus by hearing other people’s testimony about him. But he also saw Jesus through his need. Those two factors working together are what gave him the faith to call out to Jesus, and not as healer, but as “Jesus, Son of David.” In other words, <i>the Messiah</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What’s remarkable in this exchange is how Bartimaeus sees Jesus versus how his disciples see him. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For the third time, Jesus taught his disciples that he will be condemned by the religious leaders who will hand him over to the Roman authorities who will kill him, and after three days he will rise again. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Soon after Jesus says these things, James and John ask Jesus to seat them at his right and his left in his glory. James and John want power. Bartimaeus needs mercy. Bartimaeus wants to see. James and John want to <i>be seen</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It begs the question: who’s truly blind? Jesus’s disciples are blinded by their own ambitions. Like a driver staring at their phone, they have taken their eyes off the way of Jesus, which Bartimaeus is so eager to walk. Bartimaeus saw Jesus through the eyes of faith. The disciples, however, couldn’t see the truth, despite how much Jesus had taught them and shown them. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Much of your spiritual blindness is the result of what you choose to fix your eyes upon. We occupy our eyes with so many things in this digital age. I loathe to understand the extent to which our minds are influenced by what we see on a screen. It never ceases to amaze me how many things have screens: our cars, refrigerators, roadside billboards, gasoline pumps!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ultimately, our blindness to Jesus Christ is rooted in sin. But thanks be to God that Jesus does not leave you on the roadside to live out your days being blind his salvation. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Like Bartimaeus, Jesus makes himself visible to those who need forgiveness, mercy, and hope. This is why faith is most visible in places of pain and struggle: hospitals, hospices, mental health facilities, addiction support groups, grief support groups, prisons, and lands where Christians are persecuted. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bartimaeus, however, was not without help in coming to see Jesus. He wouldn’t have called out to Jesus in the first place if people hadn’t told him about Jesus. And it took people in the crowd to help him up when Jesus called out to him. This is what the Church is for. You and I are the voice of Jesus, calling out to the neighbor in love. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How else will the neighbor know the way to Jesus unless we are the ones who show them and accompany them?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Most of the people Jesus heals are never known by their name. But Bartimaeus was, which, to me, demonstrates that he became well-known among the followers of Jesus, because his testimony helped others to see Jesus. I wouldn’t be here today without the people who ministered Christ to me. We don’t do ministry to win points with God; we do it because our faith is strengthened as we see the love of Jesus revealed in what he does for others. I cannot tell you the extent to which my own faith has been strengthened by the faith I’ve witnessed in people enduring unimaginable suffering, along with people who never seem to tire of giving and serving. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, in this season of Lent, I challenge you to watch your eyes and be mindful of what you are looking at. With Jesus in your life, there is always grace, love, and goodness to be seen. But are you paying attention? And are you seeing Jesus in the eyes of the neighbor who needs your good works? Are you excited and hopeful about what Jesus will show you when you follow him on the way?</span><span style="font-family: Avenir Next LT Pro, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0358 Main St, Leechburg, PA 15656, USA40.6263747 -79.601821812.316140863821154 -114.7580718 68.936608536178852 -44.445571799999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-30478478454707965952024-02-18T04:00:00.000-08:002024-02-18T04:04:33.783-08:00The Almost Disciple: Mark 10:17-31 - First Sunday in Lent<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Last week, Elizabeth and I visited the local Giant Eagle for
our weekly grocery run.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Upon entering the store, we heard the screams and wailing of
a small child. And they continued for ten, twenty, and thirty minutes. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As we shopped the aisles, the shoppers were saying to each
other, “why won’t she shut that kid up!” “If I were crying like that, my mom
would’ve smacked me across the room.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When we arrived in the dairy aisle, I saw that the cries
were coming from a little girl, about two years old. It didn’t appear that she
was having a temper tantrum because her mother refused to buy her candy or
sugary cereal. This child was terrified over something. Her mother held her
hand and spoke gently to her, saying, “you’re okay. Mommy’s here. We’re almost
done.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She also appeared to be totally unaffected by the harsh
words and judgmental stares of the shoppers. All her attention was on her
child. There was something truly divine in the love of this mother to her
child. And we need to think about love in this way as we consider our Gospel
lesson for today.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+10%3A17-31&version=NRSVUE" target="_blank">Click here to read the Scripture text</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A young man runs up to Jesus, kneels before him, and asks
him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He’s claims he’s kept
all the commandments since his youth. So, in his mind, he’s got it made. He was
probably hoping Jesus would tell him just that. Lovingly, Jesus says, “You lack
one thing; go, sell all that you own, and give the money to the poor, and you
will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnA1xaE3uNWg6Zm01POFr2q1PCzWjVfL6DFPoOUiK7E04FTeRWynPbsuVRRYYMGmk-3ylNwW1zfTmLjcja0Voak3ow_jlKyp4Zq3jDwdM5qEdVygEbKclrEHRgSwU3-nVmqS2PivsJPdAO8OsYK_LFk6apm93wHiNv2LksQDMkosws3GIyvdrFsYxTnCX/s701/Brooklyn_Museum_-_The_Rich_Young_Man23jds98-large.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="701" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnA1xaE3uNWg6Zm01POFr2q1PCzWjVfL6DFPoOUiK7E04FTeRWynPbsuVRRYYMGmk-3ylNwW1zfTmLjcja0Voak3ow_jlKyp4Zq3jDwdM5qEdVygEbKclrEHRgSwU3-nVmqS2PivsJPdAO8OsYK_LFk6apm93wHiNv2LksQDMkosws3GIyvdrFsYxTnCX/s320/Brooklyn_Museum_-_The_Rich_Young_Man23jds98-large.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Brooklyn_Museum_-_The_Rich_Young_Man_Went_Away_Sorrowful_%28Le_jeune_homme_riche_s%27en_alla_triste%29_-_James_Tissot_-_overall.jpg" target="_blank">James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I can’t imagine how stunned he must have been. He had done
everything he had been taught that he had to do to inherit eternal life. But now,
Jesus is telling him he must give away all his wealth and possessions.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If he had done so, he would have been the thirteenth
disciple, with a front row seat to the Kingdom of God. God could’ve done some
amazing things through him, because Jesus gave his disciples power and
authority to heal the sick and cast out demons. Jesus could have changed his
life in ways he could not possibly have imagined. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The reason why he came to Jesus in the first place was
because he knew something was missing in his life, but he didn’t know what it
was. Jesus told him exactly what was missing, but he couldn’t let go. Unless he
abides by Jesus’s words, the hole in his soul will remain. <span style="color: #c00000;">He will remain an “almost disciple”: someone who loves
Jesus and believes him but cannot bear the cost of following him</span>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">His spiritual condition is something that is common to all
of us. We hold onto Jesus with one hand, and to all that we desire with the
other. But this will prove impossible. Sooner or later, you must choose. You
must let go of something, and much of the time, that something will be Jesus.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m reminded of one of the last scenes in the movie <i>Indiana
Jones and the Last Crusade</i>. Indy and his father risked their lives and
heroically vanquished the Nazis to recover the Holy Grail. Suddenly, there’s an
earthquake, and the grail falls into a giant chasm, along with Indiana Jones.
His father quickly grabs his left arm before he falls to his death, but Indy sees
the grail resting on a crag. He can almost reach it, but his father begins to
lose his grip. Indy can make one last grab for the grail with his right hand and
risk falling into the abyss, or he can give his father his other hand so that
he can pull him up to safety. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fortunately, Indy chooses wisely. He lets the grail go. Indiana
Jones will live on for the two lackluster sequels that will follow. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is where we live our lives: wanting to follow Jesus but
unwilling to let go of that which holds us. Why do we keep trying to have it
both ways? Why don’t we let go and follow Jesus?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Because we are attached. Because we are in bondage. Because <i>we
cannot let go</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is why it often takes a crisis to awaken our faith and
remind us of how destitute we are apart from Jesus. This is why we need the
Holy Spirit to snap us out of the trance we’re in trying to please everybody,
control everything, and fulfill all our wants and desires. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We let go of Jesus, but Jesus doesn’t let go of you. That’s
why you can endure life’s losses with hope and become more like Jesus in the
process. But it’s better to ask Jesus to help you let go today. There is no
prayer more audacious than to ask Jesus to set you free from the things holding
onto you—because he’ll do it! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, what are you holding onto today? Are you stressed out
trying to control everything and please everyone? Is there a grudge you can’t
let go of? Is your life so full of activity that you never have time for God? Do
you worry what your life will be like without the enjoyment of certain things? Let
go and trust Jesus because there is life after letting go. It’s the freedom that
comes in having Jesus living in you and through you. It’s the freedom of
trusting God to give you grace for today and hope for tomorrow. It’s the
freedom of living the life you were created by God to live.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0358 Main St, Leechburg, PA 15656, USA40.6263747 -79.601821812.316140863821154 -114.7580718 68.936608536178852 -44.445571799999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-41733853473678384712024-02-14T16:00:00.000-08:002024-02-14T16:00:00.142-08:00Your Lenten Miracle: Mark 9:30-37 - Ash Wednesday<p>Jesus performed many miracles during his short three years
of ministry.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One of the miracles which no one ever gives him credit for,
however, is that he puts up with his disciples’ nonsense to the very end.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Only God could endure the bickering, their slowness to
learn, their lack of faith, and most especially, their denials and betrayals. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To say that Jesus’s disciples act like children in today’s
Gospel would be an insult to children. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+9%3A30-37&version=NRSVUE" target="_blank">Click here to read the Scripture text</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jesus just taught his disciples for the <i>second</i> time
that he will soon be handed over to the authorities who will kill him, and that
he will rise again after three days. But they did not understand what he was saying,
and they were afraid to question him about it. Instead, they began to argue
with each other as to which one of them was the greatest. As if being a
disciple was a competition. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is as if everything Jesus taught them went in one ear and
out the other. Unfortunately, human nature will does not submit so easily to
the righteousness of Christ. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">How many of the world’s problems do you think stem from the
human desire for greatness, which we always define in terms of wealth, power, success,
and fame? Is that not the essence of sin, to put ourselves in the place of god,
above everything and everyone?<o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dJuj66XP4P8SQ4sCFkWM508gPExEcy_TRsld7eEtzME1_jBIHlnEbGR1sQ2eYVPJORhDm9t2u3XyDn3dUwT3kItmW-HCmYUpHba-eq_M-4cBsuGjZCkizOOewYDjkQJ6t7h-MRXv4oKwzAmidt2XxySp5LrVxWMdN51byl23_avJPHuAcwIPk-Ozfa8P/s1024/ash_12272cnp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dJuj66XP4P8SQ4sCFkWM508gPExEcy_TRsld7eEtzME1_jBIHlnEbGR1sQ2eYVPJORhDm9t2u3XyDn3dUwT3kItmW-HCmYUpHba-eq_M-4cBsuGjZCkizOOewYDjkQJ6t7h-MRXv4oKwzAmidt2XxySp5LrVxWMdN51byl23_avJPHuAcwIPk-Ozfa8P/s320/ash_12272cnp.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://churchart.com">churchart.com</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal">That’s what materialism is all about. Having the best stuff
means living the best life, and only the best people have the means to acquire
it. Social media is less of a way of forging meaningful human connections and more
of a way to show off. Most TV programs are competitions of some sort, with
someone getting voted off the island at the end of each episode, with the best
one claiming the ultimate prize.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our insecurities are rooted in all the ways we compare
ourselves with other people. We are culturally conditioned not to feel good
about ourselves unless we have conspicuous proof of our superiority. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But Jesus says, “whoever wants to be first must be last of
all and servant of all.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What’s so great about that? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Who’s going to envy you for volunteering or giving away
money you could’ve spent on yourself? I suppose you could boast about what a
charitable person you are, but people won’t envy you for that. They’ll just
think you’re annoying.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bottom line, the world defines greatness as having all people
serve you, whereas Jesus defines greatness as you serving all people. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Should it surprise us that a <i>good</i> life is a life of
service?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Think of the most charitable people you know. Consider what
a difference volunteers are making in our community. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Without servants, we’d have no fire department or EMS; no
food bank, no clothing closet, no activities for children at church, at school,
or anywhere else.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What about service jobs that aren’t rewarded with high pay,
like janitors, food servers, store clerks, healthcare aides, or school bus
drivers?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Simply put, civilization would not exist without servants. They
are the unsung heroes of humanity. From Christ we learn that servanthood is
life-giving. You can feel the goodness in the air at the clothing closet, at
the food bank, on mission trips, and at soup kitchens. Perhaps, that’s why servants
and volunteers are the most joyful people you know, and the most beloved. What
greater proof is there that Jesus is in the world than people serving people?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The only way our world is going to change is if people stop
competing and stop fighting and start serving. Only love and charity can
extinguish the fires of hate and war.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">***<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m reminded of my sister’s two dogs, and how the younger
dog would always fight the older over chew toys. The older dog would usually
let him have it. But as soon as he picked up another, the younger dog would
immediately abandon the first chew toy and fight him for the second. That’s how
irrational we are in pursuing our own greatness. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What things do you have, or what things do you want, because
everyone else has them? Because you’ve been told that without them, you’re not
truly living? Do you believe that your self-worth depends on the car you drive,
the coffee you drink, the clothes you wear, or the pictures you share on social
media?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What if you were to take the time, energy, and resources you
spend on those things and devote them to building up others? What if your
Lenten discipline was giving up trying to be what the world says you should be,
so that you can be the person you were <i>created</i> to be?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These are sacrifices which will demand great effort and
discipline. But the prize is resurrection and a better life for the neighbor. Faith
is all about letting go, trusting that Jesus always has better things in store,
and that by taking up your cross and following him, you will discover them. Let
this be your Lenten miracle, that in giving up and letting go you receive from
Christ a new sense of purpose and a new vision of the future. Every act of
service, every sacrifice, every gift given away is a seed planted in the soil
of God’s love which will bear fruit in due time. Trust that resurrection dawns
just beyond the horizon.<o:p></o:p></p>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0358 Main St, Leechburg, PA 15656, USA40.6263747 -79.601821812.316140863821154 -114.7580718 68.936608536178852 -44.445571799999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-33316065250808459672024-02-11T04:00:00.000-08:002024-02-11T04:12:07.177-08:00Transfiguration People: Mark 8:27--9:8 = Transfiguration Sunday<div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In my
opinion, Transfiguration Sunday is the most confusing of the church year
festivals. We are remembering, of course, the revelation of Jesus’s divine
glory on the mountaintop. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But what
does it all mean? <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A blog I
follow created by a retired Lutheran pastor lists 9 explanations of the event,
and I am not going to subject you to any of them, because we have pancakes and
sausage to eat.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Perhaps we
should rename this “Pancake Sunday,” at least, because this would give everyone
something to get excited about.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But what if
you showed up expecting to eat your fill of pancakes and sausage, only for me
to tell you that we are going to do something completely different, but better
than anything you could have anticipated? Wouldn’t you be a little disappointed
if there are no pancakes and sausage?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the
business world, this is called “bait and switch.” One might say that Jesus pulled
a bait and switch with his disciples. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRQh4wuN1uzGbAj9_dNjVg-satndNSYNR1OFJ_aaFeRkxASLlvgMuPW0-068xnJNxDs1N5ZAkMbtTbiAAarUk1yHrTGtip1hOVFlGoUnXa7T9FzIszboDBOOLu6Kf_6avQg11KY6WZQmygCyKkq-j-Ts_3QacI4tReVcTGfBej6UpCN3IvnmBu0Whqdbi/s734/Transfigurationbloch%20cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="734" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRQh4wuN1uzGbAj9_dNjVg-satndNSYNR1OFJ_aaFeRkxASLlvgMuPW0-068xnJNxDs1N5ZAkMbtTbiAAarUk1yHrTGtip1hOVFlGoUnXa7T9FzIszboDBOOLu6Kf_6avQg11KY6WZQmygCyKkq-j-Ts_3QacI4tReVcTGfBej6UpCN3IvnmBu0Whqdbi/s320/Transfigurationbloch%20cropped.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carl Bloch, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons</td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt;">Peter is the
first person in the Gospels who confesses that Jesus is the Messiah.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+8%3A27-9%3A8&version=NRSVUE" target="_blank">Click here to read the Sermon text</a></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Peter and
all his fellow Jews were waiting expectantly for the Messiah who would drive
the Roman occupiers out of the Holy Land, reunite the twelve lost tribes, and
reestablish Israel as the mighty kingdom it had been under David. Thus far,
Jesus had given his disciples no reason to doubt that he would do just that,
given the miraculous signs and wonders he’d performed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But then, Jesus
teaches that he will undergo great suffering and be rejected by the religious authorities
and be killed, and after three days rise again. Peter takes Jesus aside
and begins to scold Jesus because these things cannot happen <i>if</i> he’s the
Messiah. Jesus says, “get behind me, Satan! You are setting your mind not on
divine things but on human things.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Peter is
likely still reeling from Jesus’s stinging rebuke when he leads him high onto a
mountain with James and John. Suddenly, Jesus’s appearance changes; his clothes
become dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appear and begin talking with Jesus. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In this
moment, any doubts the disciples had vanished away. Suddenly, a voice from
heaven says, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” Moses and
Elijah disappear, Jesus’s appearance returns to normal, and he goes back down
the mountain and resumes his ministry. Jesus will not conquer the Romans. Rome
will crucify Jesus. But Jesus will rise again after three days, just as he said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nevertheless,
the disciples will struggle to embrace this new vision of the future. It is
just as difficult for us to embrace a new vision of the future which is
different from what we had hoped for. This is going to be our challenge in this
season of Lent that is before us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This
morning, we took our first major step into a whole new reality for our
congregation. We changed our worship time, which is always a difficult and
controversial step for any congregation to take. In March, this congregation
will be without a full-time pastor for the first time in over 100 years, and I
will no longer be serving you full time as I have done for the last 12+ years. We
must be honest with ourselves that this change would <i>not</i> be taking place
if our Sunday attendance and offerings were equivalent to what they were in the
1950s. Or even, for that matter, what they were in the 1980s. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But people
still need Jesus, and the Spirit is no less determined to draw people to faith.
The Body of Christ is greater than our church. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jesus brings
people together</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">,
which is why our new partnership with Cross Roads can be described as <span style="color: #c00000;">a transfiguration of ministry</span>. This isn’t about
saving the church; it’s about being the church. When I think back over the last
year, and how much prayer and conversation and hard work went into the creation
of this partnership, I cannot help but see the God’s hand.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Think back on
all that God has done just in the past year: we raised $30,000 in four months
to restore the Bell Tower. Tens of thousands of pieces of clothing have been
shared. Lives have been saved at GriefShare. Hundreds of children and families
came to the Easter Egg Hunt and the Back-to-School Block Party. You have loved
and supported one another through terrible trials and ordeals. Your faith is
growing and bearing much fruit.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You can call
it transfiguration, you can call it transformation, you can call it
resurrection, you can call it rebirth; it’s all the same. It’s not a question
of <i>if </i>Jesus can do these things. The greater question is if we’re
prepared to embrace this new vision of the future and trust what Jesus is
doing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Perhaps
that’s what Transfiguration Sunday is all about: preparing yourself to journey
with Jesus through the wilderness of change and challenge; stepping out of your
comfort zone; letting go of the things that hold you back. It’s time to stop
going your own way and imagining the future as a return to a past, because
that’s not what resurrection is. Listening to Jesus and following Jesus, we
become transfigured people and a transfigured church. And we do not fear to
walk the path of faith, because we know that all wilderness journeys lead to
resurrection. Do not fear change. Do not fear struggle. Do not despair in the
face of loss. Claim this new vision of the future and trust Jesus to bring it
to life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /></div>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0358 Main St, Leechburg, PA 15656, USA40.6263747 -79.601821812.316140863821154 -114.7580718 68.936608536178852 -44.445571799999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-65840220031512017582024-02-04T04:00:00.000-08:002024-02-04T04:00:00.161-08:00Hometown Nazareth: Mark 6:1-13 - Fifth Sunday after Epiphany<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">June is a long way off, but a decision had to be made: what
will be the theme for this year’s Vacation Bible School?
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="font-family: inherit;">Scuba: Diving Into Friendship with God? Hometown
Nazareth: Where Jesus Was a Kid? Start the Party: Celebrate the Gospel? Breaker
Rock Beach? Outback Rock? Hero Hotline? Camp Firelight?</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We’re never without options, but those of us who’ve been
around for a while know that not all VBS programs are created equal. In my
opinion, music is the most important thing, because it sets the tone for the
whole week. But you need sound theology and good biblical storytelling. You
need clear instructions. You need fun games and engaging crafts. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We decided that <a href="https://www.group.com/childrens-ministry/vbs/scuba/"><i>Scuba</i></a> will
be our theme for this year. Incidentally, <i>Hometown Nazareth</i> was the
theme we used during my first VBS, which was also my first week in ministry.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was fun to imagine what life was like for the boy Jesus
growing up in that small farming town. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhD6vDhwYz7VGHSByJHGRn0gYQkAE4ep2F2Ei0jO1_nUQBXvFSnvQokB8HCzjffhQQ1I411EUf4el1_TqwnFc57GuxNCCtETP9wwtCts-8QqT8b81hLQXbpiBUh3JfMHQVYrBv5qMmYKhxXtaxhIgTwXq4z3uziHH7CvkDPr_mVBDGtEP2QLqU1y0fLKCaO" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3168" data-original-width="4752" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhD6vDhwYz7VGHSByJHGRn0gYQkAE4ep2F2Ei0jO1_nUQBXvFSnvQokB8HCzjffhQQ1I411EUf4el1_TqwnFc57GuxNCCtETP9wwtCts-8QqT8b81hLQXbpiBUh3JfMHQVYrBv5qMmYKhxXtaxhIgTwXq4z3uziHH7CvkDPr_mVBDGtEP2QLqU1y0fLKCaO" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://flic.kr/p/25C7zS7" target="_blank">Nazareth Village</a> by Matt Howry on flickr. <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 2.0 DEED</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Unfortunately, today’s Gospel shows us that Nazareth was <i>not</i>
the fun and friendly place Vacation Bible School made it out to be…</span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jesus goes with his disciples to Nazareth. On the Sabbath
Day, he began to teach at his home synagogue, and the people were astonished.
They could not believe the wisdom and power they were witnessing in “the
carpenter.” Adding to the insult, they refer to Jesus as “Mary’s son.” Back
then, people were usually referred to as the son or daughter of their father,
not their mother. Thus, they are implying that Jesus is the child of an
adulterous mother. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ultimately, this is a verbal crucifixion of Jesus by the people
he’d known for most of his life. He lived among them. He worked among them. He
worshiped among them. But they were offended by God was doing in him. As a
result, Jesus is only able to minister to a small number of sick people. From
then on, he will reside in the town of Capernaum, about 40 miles away.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What we see here is something that happens all too often in
small towns and tight-knit communities: some people build a reputation, while
others are simply given one.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Many times, I’ve heard people criticize small town life,
“because everyone knows your business.” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Years ago, I was visiting my grandmother in the small town where
both of my parents grew up. A turn signal bulb went out, so I visited an auto
parts store to buy a replacement. The man behind the counter recognized me right
away, because of my resemblance to my paternal grandfather. Keep in mind, I
never lived there, and my grandfather moved to Florida in 1986. Thankfully, he
had a good reputation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Still, it’s hard to be who you are when everyone else has
made up their own minds about who you are. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is especially true if you’re not part of a wealthy
family or don’t work in a prestigious job; or if someone in your family has a
bad reputation; or if you’ve made mistakes and you’re working to rebuild your
life. People may believe things about you which have no basis in reality. It’s
miserable to be the subject of gossip and rumors.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That’s the problem with sinners: we see the speck in the
neighbor’s eye but not the plank in our own. We dwell on other people’s faults
so that we don’t have to deal with our own. We feel good about ourselves by
putting others down. We need to feel more worthy and deserving than “those
people” so that we can be first. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s sad that the people who opposed Jesus were also those
who were regarded as righteous and respectable. But there is a happy ending to
this story: <span style="color: #c00000;">Jesus will demonstrate true righteousness
by how he relates to sinners, outcasts, rejects, and nobodies. </span>He
doesn’t judge or condemn. He loves people. He accepts them. He takes away their
shame by showing them that they matter to God.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As the Body of Christ, this is our call. This is our
ministry. All around us are people who live beneath a veil of shame. Maybe it’s
because their sins are widely known. Maybe it’s because of the sins of their parents,
siblings, or children. Maybe it’s because they need public assistance and
ministries like our clothing closet to get by.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve said before that stepping into a church for the first
time is one of the biggest leaps of faith a Christian will ever take, because
you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. Nothing stings the faith
quite like the judgmental stare of a Christian, or the rumors and gossip that circulate
so freely. And since every church is made up of sinners, we commit against one
another the same sin committed against Jesus in his home synagogue.
Unfortunately, being a welcoming church is not as easy as it sounds.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But Jesus has showed us how to take shame and anxiety away:
he ministered to people <i>outside</i> the synagogues. He met people where they
were. He ministered to people not by talking at them, but by listening and
building relationships. He ate at sinners' tables. He befriended tax
collectors. He trespassed against the boundaries that the privileged classes
worked so hard to enforce. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s inevitable that in a small town, you’re going to know
other people’s business. But the real question is, <i>do those other people
know how much we care? Do they know that they matter to God? Do they know that in
Christ, they can begin again? </i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Every one of us is a new creation in Christ. You die to sin
and rise to new life every day. We might not be able to cure diseases like
Jesus did, but we can take away people’s shame. We can take away the sting of
gossip, rumors, and bad reputations. We can take away the fear that keeps
people hiding in the shadow of hopelessness. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hometown Nazareth was not a good place for Jesus. But we can
make Hometown Leechburg a place to know Jesus Christ, and this church to be a
home where anyone can become the person God created you to be.</span></p>
</div>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0358 Main St, Leechburg, PA 15656, USA40.6263747 -79.601821812.316140863821154 -114.7580718 68.936608536178852 -44.445571799999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-27015241495672839382024-01-28T04:00:00.000-08:002024-01-28T04:08:01.010-08:00Being Made Well: Mark 5:21-37 - Fourth Sunday after Epiphany<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjV5qoq3wTy8AnhIUnr8oTL4bYQ13Owqukr9UD_lV39-JBQcVgyLcBXLkq5XL8NKIjCXjvOFk7UMKze4rUgd2C6xa9jStHRwcT5PVy4xAxamRdNv4ycYWFyjGpmz7pewlRE5hVAtzKUoitHoexvZ7Wb1LOLrLxkqBng8CGE9yaut1Wxr7jT9vIIh9dUjwuU" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2800" data-original-width="4200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjV5qoq3wTy8AnhIUnr8oTL4bYQ13Owqukr9UD_lV39-JBQcVgyLcBXLkq5XL8NKIjCXjvOFk7UMKze4rUgd2C6xa9jStHRwcT5PVy4xAxamRdNv4ycYWFyjGpmz7pewlRE5hVAtzKUoitHoexvZ7Wb1LOLrLxkqBng8CGE9yaut1Wxr7jT9vIIh9dUjwuU" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">churchart.com</td></tr></tbody></table></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Not since Job had a man of God gained so much, only to lose
it all.</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Horatio Spafford achieved the American Dream in 19<sup>th</sup>
century Chicago. He was a prominent lawyer and owned numerous buildings
throughout the city. He and his wife Anna were blessed with four daughters and
one son. They were also devout Christians who were very active in the
ministries of their church.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But tragedy soon struck. Horatio, Jr., their only son, died
of scarlet fever at the age of 4. The very next year, nearly all his properties
were destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire. Nevertheless, Horatio and Anna lived
out their faith by serving his fellow citizens who lost their homes and loved
ones in the fire. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Two years later, Spafford arranged a trip to England, where
his good friend, the evangelist D.L. Moody, would be preaching. He was just
about to depart aboard the <i>S.S. Ville du Havre</i> when he was needed for
some urgent business at his law firm. So, he sent them on ahead, and promised
to join them later. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But tragedy struck. The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ville
du Havre</i> collided with another vessel and sank in less than twelve minutes.
Horatio received a telegram from Anna that their four daughters had not
survived. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Horatio immediately set sail to join his wife. <a href="https://www.cocdiscipleship.org/middle-ages/horatio-gates-spafford-the-story-behind-the-hymn-it-is-well-with-my-soul/">According
to legend</a>, when the captain informed him that they were sailing over the
very spot where the <i>Ville du Havre</i> went down, Horatio returned to his
cabin and wrote down the words “<i>when peace like a river attendeth my way,” </i>which
became the first line of the hymn “<a href="https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-it-is-well-with-my-soul"><i>It
Is Well With My Soul</i></a><i>.</i>”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s astounding, though, that anyone in his position could
say such words, but today’s Gospel may shed some light on what he may have felt
in that moment…<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">***<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jesus and his disciples have just gotten off the boat,
having returned from a trip across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd is waiting
for Jesus on the shore. Among them is a synagogue leader named Jairus, who falls
at Jesus’s feet and begs him to come to his home and lay his hands on his
daughter, who is deathly ill. Jesus agrees and accompanies him to his home. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On the way, a desperate woman forced her way through the
crowds to touch Jesus. For twelve years, she had been suffering from a severe
hemorrhage. She spent all her money on doctors, but no one was able to cure
her. She thought to herself, “if I touch Jesus’s cloak, I will be made well.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Feeling the power going out from him, Jesus asks, “who
touched me?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At this point, the woman was probably scared to death. By
forcing her way through the crowd, she committed several social faux pas. For
starters, she didn’t wait her turn. Even worse, her condition made her ceremonially
unclean. Thus, everyone she touched became unclean, including Jesus.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But she fesses up. And Jesus isn’t angry. He is moved with
compassion. Seeing her in her desperate and helpless state, he says, “Daughter,
your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your disease.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Right then and there, she is cured. It’s a miracle. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, what are we to make of this? That Jesus <i>rewarded</i>
her faith by curing her of her disease? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On the surface, that makes sense. He said, “<i>your faith</i>
has made you well.” She didn’t care about social norms; she just reached out
and touched Jesus, believing she would be made well if she did. And she was
right.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yet, I always struggle with the Gospels’ healing stories
because I’ve known so many people who’ve had incredible faith who were not
cured of their diseases.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But there’s something else to consider: none of the people
Jesus cured lived forever. They still had to live in this world and face life’s
struggles, just as anyone else would.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is why I believe that the healings and the miracles
served a far greater purpose than curing a disease. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The real miracle is that people saw Jesus for who he was:
that he loved them, that he accepted them, and that he had authority over the
demons and diseases which tormented them. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He didn’t come into their lives to fix all their problems
and make them perpetually happy. He came to be their Savior and Lord. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So when Jesus said, “your faith has made you well,” he’s not
saying, “I’m rewarding your faith by curing you.” Instead, he’s saying, “you
are well because you believe in me.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jesus’s ministry is what gave them faith. Amid their pain
and desperation, they called out to him, they reached out to him—and through
the miracle of their healing, they saw Jesus for who he was. They are well
because they trust him. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is only through faith that you can see the works of Jesus
Christ in your life, in ways both big and small. Sometimes, you see miracles.
We’ve certainly seen plenty within this congregation. Think of the people we’ve
prayed for who’ve recovered from deadly accidents. Think of people whom God has
freed from addictions. Think of children born prematurely who are growing up
healthy and strong. We raised the money to restore our bell tower. We’ve
witnessed our ministry giving people a reason to live! <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There will, however, be times you’ll feel as though God has
let you down. The miracles you prayed for will not come. You’ll wonder where
God is, and why God didn’t answer your prayers. But even if your heart is
broken, and you can’t see any way forward, you will be well because Jesus is
faithful. His mercies will get you through it, and you will see his works and
wonders as you keep moving forward. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To be well has nothing to do with circumstance when you’re a
child of God. It has only to do with Jesus. You will be well because Jesus is
faithful. Morning by morning, new mercies you’ll see. You will be well because that
is God’s will. You will be well when you believe.<o:p></o:p></p>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0358 Main St, Leechburg, PA 15656, USA40.6263747 -79.601821812.316140863821154 -114.7580718 68.936608536178852 -44.445571799999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-70705396821250415362024-01-21T04:00:00.000-08:002024-01-21T05:15:19.130-08:00We, Too, Are Many: Mark 5:1-20 - Third Sunday after Epiphany<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Elizabeth and I lived in Gettysburg during our seminary years. It was a really fun place to live, for the most part. We thoroughly enjoyed all the shops and restaurants, and we were never hard up for something to do on a weekend. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The one thing I disliked was the Ghost Tours. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We took one out of curiosity, and I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing for how stupid it was. One thing I don’t understand, is that if you’re a ghost and you’re invisible, and you can move through walls, why would you stay in the same place for 160 years?</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If I were a ghost, I’d float onto the next plane to Hawaii. I wouldn’t stay in some dank basement to be gawked at by tourists. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Many residents of Gettysburg felt that the Ghost Tours were disrespectful to those who died during those three days in July 1863. I’m inclined to agree. As a person of faith, I can’t imagine God abandoning those poor souls to languish in the depths of their suffering. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In today’s Gospel, Jesus and his disciples have just sailed across the Sea of Galilee. When they reach the shore, they encounter a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. People tried to restrain him with chains, but the demonic powers within him were so strong that he broke them. Night and day, he howled and beat himself with stones. </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+5%3A1-20&version=NRSVUE" target="_blank">Click here to read the Scripture text</a></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When Jesus asks him his name, he says, “Legion, for we are many.” </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We moderns would assume that he may have been suffering a terrible mental health condition rather than an actual demonic possession. Whether he was or he wasn’t doesn’t matter. It makes sense to say that he was under the control of a legion of demons, given what he was suffering. You could say that depression, anxiety, addiction, cancer, dementia, and a whole host of mental or body ailments are demons. You could say some people are demon possessed because they are vicious, greedy, and cruel. War is hell. So are genocides, famines, and shootings. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you ask people why they don’t believe in God, the reality of evil may be the biggest reason why. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yet what we see in today’s Gospel is that Jesus does not abandon poor souls like this man to be imprisoned by evil, be it the evil of six thousand demons or a mental health condition, or the community that left him for dead. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jesus will go on to suffer everything this man suffered, and more. He will be condemned, chained up, beaten, and ultimately crucified. He will descend into hell. But God raises him from the dead. Evil’s destructive power is broken. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Evil shutters in the presence of Jesus—because Jesus has full authority over all the powers, both human and supernatural, which are opposed to God. Whenever God’s Word is spoken, whenever people pray, the power of evil is broken. Love, patience, mercy, forgiveness, selflessness, generosity—these are the instruments that defeat evil. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That may be hard to believe, because you can’t put out a forest fire with a garden hose. But do you remember how the man said, “my name is Legion, for we are many?” Are we not many? Are we not the Body of the risen Christ? Are we not a major force for good when we believe God’s promises and do God’s work?</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I can tell you from my own experience that I have felt the prayers of God’s people as power that holds me up and keeps me going. I can also tell you that the work we do as a congregation has literally saved lives. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We remember people like Dr. Martin Luther King because he was a man of faith. The civil rights movement began in the church, and people of faith changed the world. They pursued a vision of peace and justice revealed in the Scriptures, and not with bombs or bullets.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You will have to contend against evil until the day you see Jesus face-to-face. But the only the way the devil can win is if you become so discouraged that you give up praying, that you give up gathering with the people of God, that you give up doing good. Why should you do that?</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jesus is risen. You are a child of God. Your life is in his hands. This world is in his hands. The love of God lives inside of you. We are many, and we have the Holy Spirit to break the bonds of evil, to heal this broken world, and live victoriously every day. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHd7dtpSovInMsz3V0LL0VfJJwBYMOK_HMYDZcFx4bpImOBILJQ9vxHmla4kzpOmPRR8X8T8sTctjmd1o5B1Ccayk45HKVRKSeJISruwEkLbmz_02ssrJSpyt3qgYLfn5uwUA0F5bpFp_S3FgjpwQw9ZMF1kNi5966ozK4JY1-XdlQr0uDcBq6hE9KTCx_" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHd7dtpSovInMsz3V0LL0VfJJwBYMOK_HMYDZcFx4bpImOBILJQ9vxHmla4kzpOmPRR8X8T8sTctjmd1o5B1Ccayk45HKVRKSeJISruwEkLbmz_02ssrJSpyt3qgYLfn5uwUA0F5bpFp_S3FgjpwQw9ZMF1kNi5966ozK4JY1-XdlQr0uDcBq6hE9KTCx_" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p style="color: blue; font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #111111;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@randyfath?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash"><span style="color: blue;">Randy Fath</span></a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/people-building-structure-during-daytime-ymf4_9Y9S_A?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash"><span style="color: blue;">Unsplash</span></a></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></span></div>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0358 Main St, Leechburg, PA 15656, USA40.6263747 -79.601821812.316140863821154 -114.7580718 68.936608536178852 -44.445571799999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-8718173782615587182024-01-16T09:44:00.000-08:002024-01-16T09:44:58.878-08:00Ezra: The Perils, Politics, and Promise of New Beginnings - Bible Study Blog<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lesson 2 – Wednesday, January 17</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYR42CIYFiWDl26y2Fv1QkJlVygjSfIJ-AdGJ4Fea7-YqZf9mQDNFR5_kYL31Yl9DUCCgvuxhofNgl-2MjvicPjCC4yqY6IBf1fqm90AaG7i9ucm9VUqDv_uy3pIDa1wjTiC-8GZKLKoWd7HX6EoaAWPBxwurcaoJ_k-3raw8joUad9BBEClb9Q3mLkHW/s1920/Ezra%20Bible%20Study.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYR42CIYFiWDl26y2Fv1QkJlVygjSfIJ-AdGJ4Fea7-YqZf9mQDNFR5_kYL31Yl9DUCCgvuxhofNgl-2MjvicPjCC4yqY6IBf1fqm90AaG7i9ucm9VUqDv_uy3pIDa1wjTiC-8GZKLKoWd7HX6EoaAWPBxwurcaoJ_k-3raw8joUad9BBEClb9Q3mLkHW/s320/Ezra%20Bible%20Study.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/group-of-person-on-stairs-tZw3fcjUIpM?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" target="_blank">Photo by Sol on unsplash</a></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ezra 5: Tattle-Tail Tattenai</span></span></p>
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<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Zerubbabel, with the blessing of the prophet Haggai, resumes reconstruction of the temple. Tattenai, the governor, questions them but does not order them to stop construction. He dispatches a letter of inquiry to King Darius to confirm what Zerubbabel and the works had told him. </span></li>
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<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ezra 6: Darius’s Decree</span></span></p>
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<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Darius issues a decree, confirming King Cyrus’s orders for the temple to be rebuilt, with all costs paid from the royal treasury. Anyone who interferes will be punished by death. </span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Verse 14: Reconstruction is completed on September 21, 520 B.C.E., about 3½ years after it began. </span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Verse 21: The Passover is celebrated with those who had renounced the gods of their Gentile neighbors. This likely included Samaritans. This inclusion will not last.</span></li>
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<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ezra 7: Ezra the Teacher</span></span></p>
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<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Verses 1—5: Ezra is sent from Babylon to Jerusalem by King Artaxerxes of Persia. The long genealogy demonstrates Ezra to be a descendent of Aaron, as well as a man of stature and authority among the exiles. This may also be a reason why Artaxerxes sent him. “This Ezra” will act as chief priest in this new era for God’s people. What the text does not say is that there were civil and ecclesiastical authorities already in place, who suddenly find themselves out of a job.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ezra arrives about sixty years after the events of chapter 6. Zerubbabel is likely dead, as we do not hear from him again.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Verse 13: “any of the Israelites” – Artaxerxes does not prohibit anyone of Jewish ancestry to return to Jerusalem.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Verse 25: Ezra is vested with royal authority to govern Jerusalem, impose taxes (except on the Levites), enact Jewish law, and administer civil and capital punishments. </span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Verses 27-29: The book bearing Ezra’s name will now be read from his point-of-view. </span></li>
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<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Chapter 8: Ezra’s Resettlement</span></span></p>
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<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The descendants of fifteen individuals are listed, numbering about 1,496 men, excluding women and children. The fact that these families are named demonstrates that they were prominent and wealthy. </span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Verse 16: There were no Levites in the caravan, likely because many Levites fled from Babylon when Nebuchadnezzar ordered them to sing and perform the songs of Zion for him. Hence, some Levites from Casiphia are invited to join the caravan. </span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Verses 21—22: even with their significant numbers, the journey from Babylon to Jerusalem would have been dangerous, particularly since they had been sent with an unfathomable amount of silver, gold, and provisions. Ezra is overcome with shame for even thinking of having asked Artaxerxes to send with them an armed escort. Knowing the degree of danger they faced, Ezra proclaims a fast and led God’s people in prayer. </span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Verses 24—31: Ezra entrusts the silver, good, and valuable articles to the care of Sherebiah, the head of one of the families of Levites who joined the caravan from Casiphia. </span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Verse 31: Sure enough, they encountered enemies and bandits along the way. Nevertheless, God protects them.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Verse 34: Now that Ezra and his caravan have arrived in Jerusalem, the silver, gold, and sacred articles are turned over to the priests at the temple. Sherebiah and his kinfolk were faithful in their stewardship of the wealth Ezra had entrusted them. </span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Verse 35: The exiles who returned offer burnt offerings to the Lord.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Verse 36: Ezra and the returned exiles also present letters from the king, which establish Ezra’s authority over the temple, Jerusalem, and the surrounding territories. This decree, along with the vast amounts of wealth they delivered from the king, will likely create conflict among those who had power and authority when they arrived—perhaps even some who were personally appointed by Zerubbabel.</span></li>
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<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="pastedGraphic.png" src="blob:https://www.blogger.com/30de3214-0d96-443f-a264-0bc1857dad60" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: bibleproject.com<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's where we are thus far:</span></p>
<ol>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The emperor sends exiles to rebuild Jerusalem. He appoints leaders (Zerubbabel and Ezra). They are given a significant amount of resources and authority to oversee the rebuilding and exercise local governmental authority over the people. </span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are already people living in the land who clash with the returning exiles and oppose their efforts. Groups that clash include: those who were there first vs. those who returned; persons of wealth and prominence versus common people; peoples deemed to be the remnants of true Israel versus those deemed not. </span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There is an expulsion of peoples from the new temple community.</span></li>
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<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ezra 9: Ezra’s Prayer about Intermarriage</span></span></p>
<ol>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Verses 1—4: Ezra learns that the people of Israel, including Levites, had intermarried with neighboring peoples “with their abominations.”</span></li>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Intermarriage is strictly forbidden in the Law of Moses, cf. Exodus 34:16 and Deuteronomy 7:1-4.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Marriage in the ancient world was never supposed to be based on romantic love alone. You didn’t marry to gratify yourself as much as you married out of honor and duty to your kin and community. When you married a foreign spouse, you married their gods.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They have “mingled the holy race with the peoples around them.” Today, such a statement would be quickly condemned as racist and in-line with Nazism. It will be a struggle for us to understand the situation from Ezra’s point of view.</span></li>
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<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Verse 12: Ezra confesses that the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and the exile was God’s punishment for God’s people having intermarried with foreign peoples.</span></li>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I find it striking that Ezra does not confess the sins of violence, oppression, and injustice which are condemned by the major and minor prophets (Isaiah 5:7, Isaiah 59; Jer 9:6, Ezra 7, Amos 2:6 & 8:6). </span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you believe Ezra is treating intermarriage as the root cause of Israel’s sins, or does he believe it to be the worst of all the sins they committed?</span></li>
</ol>
</ol>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ezra 10: Confession and Expulsion</span></span></p>
<ol>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Verse 1: Ezra’s public acts of contrition cause a stir among the peoples, who join him weeping bitterly and confessing the sin of intermarriage.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Verse 3: The people make a new covenant before God by sending away “all these wives and <i>their</i> children.” </span></li>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Their children” demonstrates the harshness of the ruling. Like Ishmael in Genesis, children of foreign marriages are denied a place among the people of God and sent away.</span></li>
</ol>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Verses 6: Ezra is distressed over what he and the people are about to do, so he goes away, mourning and fasting in private.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Verses 7—16: While Ezra continues to fast and pray, his officials ordered everyone guilty of intermarriage to assemble in Jerusalem within three days.</span></li>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Four of Ezra’s prominent officials oppose the ruling, either because they wanted to protect their family members or because they believed the ruling was too harsh. One of them, Meshullam, is among those who are expelled.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ezra appoints men of the family heads (likely those who returned to Jerusalem with him) to be an investigative panel that would make the final rulings as to who would be expelled.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">110 men are ruled to have been guilty of marrying pagan wives.</span></li>
</ol>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you believe the edict is excessive and cruel? </span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What role, if any, do you believe fear played in this decision?</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Could this expulsion have been about politics, economics, and power instead of righteousness?</span></li></ol><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-4629069026724166602024-01-14T04:00:00.000-08:002024-01-14T04:13:27.278-08:00Lights, Lamps, and Cups: Mark 4:21-34<p>Have you heard about the <a href="https://time.com/6552422/stanley-cup-craze-target/">pink Stanley Cup</a>?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Initially, I thought this cup had something to do with
professional hockey’s greatest prize. But I was wrong. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is a 40-ounce, double-wall, vacuum-insulated reusable
beverage cup in a limited-edition “winter pink” color, manufactured by the
Stanley company and marketed exclusively for Target Stores, in collaboration
with Starbucks.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When the cup was released on January 3, <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/starbucks-latest-stanley-cup-collaboration-053823044.html">people
went absolutely nuts</a>, camping out all night, getting into fistfights, grabbing
as many of the $45 cups as they could get their hands on. And now, these cups
are now selling for upwards of $300 on eBay. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Even though I’m a big coffee drinker, the whole thing
strikes me as absurd. The Stanley Company has been manufacturing insulated
beverage containers for 111 years. If you want one in another color, <a href="https://www.stanley1913.com/collections/vacuum-bottles">they aren’t hard
to get</a>. And the people who have them love them. One happy customer shared <a href="https://youtu.be/dYVNrIHHcg8?si=4TgMlY3I2AU3PHyJ">a video in which her
Stanley Cup not only survived a car fire</a>, the ice cubes didn’t even melt. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But the demand for these cups has little to do with how
effective they are in keeping your water cold and your coffee hot. Expensive
reusable beverage containers have become status symbols. People buy them to
show them off. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Since most people use only one beverage container at a time,
most of these pink Stanley cups will likely never be used. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jesus makes a similar point in today’s Gospel when he asks the
crowds, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket or under the
bed and not on the lampstand?”<o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DmUsiiUb3WmVR1Y_9L8vCtadHvQC1_KmpAba7vhNoNlJOnujPIxlL6WNFMBrAKud5pW8DqlhrpBRImG-FDP_6pjxZSZ7juriHqcxOmYQos2dHXEOLCYyFt0W4gvhZnHdkrOfqh4h2jN0PTG3w0VmalSGbIV9IXDUg_cLg9U7K3vg3VgqGINPXwUIVnAB/s6048/bernard-tuck-dkrvlD1UC2s-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4028" data-original-width="6048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DmUsiiUb3WmVR1Y_9L8vCtadHvQC1_KmpAba7vhNoNlJOnujPIxlL6WNFMBrAKud5pW8DqlhrpBRImG-FDP_6pjxZSZ7juriHqcxOmYQos2dHXEOLCYyFt0W4gvhZnHdkrOfqh4h2jN0PTG3w0VmalSGbIV9IXDUg_cLg9U7K3vg3VgqGINPXwUIVnAB/s320/bernard-tuck-dkrvlD1UC2s-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/lantern-beside-black-metal-hook-on-brown-furniture-dkrvlD1UC2s" target="_blank">Photo by Bernard Tuck on unsplash.</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Historically, household goods and clothing weren’t cheap and
plentiful like they are today. Lamps like Jesus described would’ve been
hand-made and expensive. The oil to light the lamp was also expensive. Therefore,
only a fool would light a lamp and hide it away.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+4%3A21-34&version=NRSVUE" target="_blank">Click here to read the Scripture text</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And yet, when it comes to the gifts of God and the promises
of God, we do this all the time. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>How easy it is to accept Jesus as Savior but not as Lord!
<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jesus comes to the world, calls us to be his disciples, and
gives his life for us. The Holy Spirit gives us faith so that we can pray and
live in relationship with God. The Father provides all that we need to live as his
children. But what do <i>we</i> do? Do we live for ourselves, or do we live for
the God who created us?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">***<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Several years ago, a church not too far from here closed and
put their building up for sale. Several years before the closure, a family spared
no expense renovating and furnishing a lounge just off the sanctuary. But when
they saw children putting their feet on the leather upholstery and spilling their
Cheerios on the new carpet, they were enraged. The lounge was only supposed to
be used on “special occasions.” So, the church locked it up. In time, they no
longer had to worry about children messing up the lounge, or adults, for that
matter. In the end, the property was sold for less than what it cost to
renovate and furnish that lounge. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jesus says, “Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you
give will be the measure you get, and it will be added to you. For to those who
have, more will be given, and from those who have nothing, even what they have
will be taken away.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If your purpose in life is to obey God’s will, God will give
you everything you need. Like a light on the lampstand, your purpose in life is
to shine the light of Jesus’s love in everything you say and do. We are church
together for the sake of the world.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">God will not, however, enable you to live apart from him.
God will not provide for you to build up kingdoms for yourself where Jesus and
the neighbor aren’t welcome. You cannot be a Christian on your own terms.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Living by faith means surrendering your wants and desires to
take hold of God’s. It’s letting God be the author of your life’s story. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That’s not to say that your life will be easy and
problem-free. That’s not to say that things will always go your way.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The way of discipleship is not the path of least resistance.
On the contrary, it is a life fraught with perils. In fact, the life of faith
may prove to be even more perilous than life without Jesus, because you’re not
living for yourself. You’re living for purposes that are contrary to the
world’s purposes. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In your life of faith, you will face trials and tribulations
greater than what your mind, body, and spirit can endure. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But in Christ, life’s dirt becomes the rich soil of grace,
where the seeds of new life sprout and flourish. God’s grace is made perfect in
weakness. God helps those who <i>can’t</i> help themselves. God will give you
your daily bread one day at a time with hope for tomorrow. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All of this serves one purpose—so that you will shine with
the love of Jesus Christ for the sake of the world; walking daily in trust in
obedience; and so that you can live each day in the peace that passes
understanding, even if all around and above you is in chaos.. If this is what
you desire for your life and if you are willing to let go of everything else to
take hold of Jesus with every fiber of your being, your cup will overflow, and
your light will shine.<o:p></o:p></p>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0358 Main St, Leechburg, PA 15656, USA40.6263747 -79.601821812.316140863821154 -114.7580718 68.936608536178852 -44.445571799999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-81329919593821550232024-01-07T04:00:00.000-08:002024-01-07T04:00:00.212-08:00New Year, New Hope: Mark 1:1-20 - Baptism of Our Lord<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It was
December 31, 1999, and I was at a friend’s house for his annual New Year’s Eve
party. But I didn’t stay until midnight that year because it was Y2K, and just
in case something terrible was going to happen, my parents wanted me at home.
Thankfully, the computers didn’t explode, and the world moved on.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Nevertheless,
at the new year, you really feel the seismic movement of time and the change
that it brings, both good and bad. You want the year before you to be better
than the year that has passed. But it’s hard to be optimistic in this day and
age. You wonder: will things ever change for the better?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Fortunately,
the answer to that question is <i>yes</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+1%3A1-20&version=NRSVUE" target="_blank">Click here to read the Scripture text</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">John the
Baptist heralds the dawning of a new age. God has put on human flesh and come
to earth. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near,” Jesus
says; “<i>repent</i> and <i>believe</i> in the good news.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFvB7n0b0iIguixmhiNwEPk2QigJe5zqAzRN7-DoGBGfutgrUGrCJi2HU9xTPpkVEbJAXw9offYylBYOrCMKetG20uv9kEbP-V0akavTQAMNJVUf8Fs00n6irVEqJcDVegUVVNkYS82vbNrmsOGCu4c-nZkyuhbUX-TrqfZK8HAslsnr138D3xElFHFwR/s4500/tower_27595bc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3213" data-original-width="4500" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFvB7n0b0iIguixmhiNwEPk2QigJe5zqAzRN7-DoGBGfutgrUGrCJi2HU9xTPpkVEbJAXw9offYylBYOrCMKetG20uv9kEbP-V0akavTQAMNJVUf8Fs00n6irVEqJcDVegUVVNkYS82vbNrmsOGCu4c-nZkyuhbUX-TrqfZK8HAslsnr138D3xElFHFwR/s320/tower_27595bc.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit: churchart.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />***<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I don’t know
about you, but when I hear the word “repent,” I immediately think of street
preachers and holy rollers carrying signs, hollering about the end of the world.
“Turn or burn,” they say. “Get yourself right with the Lord or you will spend
eternity in hell.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But Jesus
wasn’t making a threat. He was proclaiming a promise. <span style="color: #c00000;">To
repent is to welcome the action of God which will revolutionize your existence</span>.<s><o:p></o:p></s></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s one
thing to be baptized, to call yourself a Christian, to join the church, to be
forgiven of your sin. All these gifts are free, no strings attached. But to
accept them; to truly have Jesus in your life, is for you to be changed far
beyond your imagination. Your mind, your heart, your priorities, your habits,
your lifestyles, your goals, your ambitions shall be radically transformed.
There is no reason for you to expect anything less from Jesus than to make you
personally and fully involved in the dawning of God’s reign over all creation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">That might sound
intimidating when you consider Jesus’s disciples, who left their jobs and their
family when Jesus said, “follow me.” Still, nobody who truly gave their life to
Jesus ever regretted it, because they didn’t follow Jesus out of guilt or fear
or desire for personal gain. They followed because they saw in him the way to
the Kingdom of God. They followed because they understood the emptiness and futility
of a life without him. When they heard Jesus proclaim the Gospel, and when
Jesus called them by name, there was nowhere else to go but with him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There is no
reason for you to expect anything less with Jesus in your life. It’s not a
question of <i>if</i> Jesus will call you, but <i>how</i> and <i>when</i> and <i>where</i>
and <i>what for</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">***<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In the
Gospels, we see that Jesus often shows up when people’s lives are in ruins.
Think of how many people came to faith in Christ when they or someone they
loved was deathly ill or possessed by demons. Jesus showed up to people were
despised and rejected by their communities. He gave people hope. He gave people
purpose. He showed people that they had value. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Just the
same, Jesus is going to show up in all the things that cause you fear and pain.
He will be there when your best-laid plans fall to pieces and your hopes and
dreams are shattered. Jesus will be there when you fail. He will defend you in temptation,
he will forgive you when you sin. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When Jesus
shows up, things change. People change. You change.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But this is
where repentance comes in. Jesus will be there regardless of what <i>you</i>
do, but you must face the facts. You’re a sinner. You need Jesus to lead you on
the paths of righteousness. To repent is to stop living only for the things
that matter to you and start living for the things that matter to God. It is to
have your priorities, your habits, and your lifestyles radically changed. You will
have to let go of your need to be in control and let God be in control. You
will have to let Jesus write the story of what your future will be.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">2024 is
going to be a year of letting go as we enter into a relationship with Cross
Roads and make hard but necessary changes to live into this new reality. The
old, familiar ways of doing church are not going to reach new generations. We
must be prepared to take risks and let go of the old to embrace the new. A
church that’s following Jesus is one that is mercifully meeting the needs of
the poor, seeking out the lost, and speaking the truths that many are not yet
ready to hear. The way of Jesus will seldom be the pathway of least resistance.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You will not
see Jesus if you are not regularly giving yourself away to the neighbor in need,
if you’re holding onto grudges, or if you go along with the world’s pursuit of
power and pleasure. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Day in and
day out, you will need to look at all the things you have and the things you
want, and ask, do I love these things more than Jesus? Day in and day out, you
will need Jesus’s forgiveness not only for the sins you’ve committed, but for
the strength to let go of the things that keep you in sin. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“The time is
fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near,” Jesus says. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">No one knows
what 2024 will bring, though I’m certain it will bring hardship, suffering, and
change. But Jesus will be there in all of it. With each passing day, we’re
moving ever closer to the Kingdom of God. Go with Jesus, though, and this year
will also be full of healing, full of growth, full of hope, and full of
purpose. Repent, and believe in the good news.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0Leechburg, PA 15656, USA40.62701 -79.605601212.316776163821153 -114.7618512 68.937243836178851 -44.449351199999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-24388511747971525342024-01-03T07:36:00.000-08:002024-01-03T07:38:51.729-08:00Bible Study Blog: The Book of Ezra - The Promise and Peril of New Beginnings (Part 1)<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></o:p></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzY2ZtT4wr_tieS35bN_zOITHvvEeRDCZ9PDzRGlSjykHDBws5PFaklq5xSu-jsPudN3-Uk2IQllUh_L3y8XJxDccgx6TWRUxk13qcbv5Rgscv3ut6aCcvSpFrVy9tlDyo18SUgoe_amibDJf71VuxZl-hbqpi7weuIejMhyphenhyphenv9_2CY2tSog2BT6yJGeGf6/s1640/The%20PROMISE%20AND%20PERIL%20OF%20NEW%20BEGINNINGS.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1640" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzY2ZtT4wr_tieS35bN_zOITHvvEeRDCZ9PDzRGlSjykHDBws5PFaklq5xSu-jsPudN3-Uk2IQllUh_L3y8XJxDccgx6TWRUxk13qcbv5Rgscv3ut6aCcvSpFrVy9tlDyo18SUgoe_amibDJf71VuxZl-hbqpi7weuIejMhyphenhyphenv9_2CY2tSog2BT6yJGeGf6/w554-h311/The%20PROMISE%20AND%20PERIL%20OF%20NEW%20BEGINNINGS.png" width="554" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MkETkRv9tG8" width="320" youtube-src-id="MkETkRv9tG8"></iframe></span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ezra 1: Cyrus Ends the Exile<o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Avenir Next LT Pro"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Cyrus was no Jew, but his strategy to rule his
empire differed from the Babylonians, whom he had conquered. Instead of
carrying off the idols and gods of conquered peoples, Cyrus chose to placate
them. Not only would this keep the conquered peoples happy, he would also (as
he saw it) gain the favor of their gods.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ezra 2: The Exiles Return<o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Avenir Next LT Pro"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->When Cyrus sends the exiles back to Jerusalem,
they will not find the lands surrounding the city unoccupied. Nebuchadnezzar
left the poorest people to “work the vineyards and the fields” (2 Kings 25:12).
The exiles, on the other hand, included all upper classes, skilled laborers,
and the priestly class. This is going to cause problems when the exiles return
to reclaim their lands. Furthermore, did not God go into exile with his people
in Babylon, as the prophets declare (cf. Ezekiel 11:16, Jeremiah 29:15-16, 28)?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Avenir Next LT Pro"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->In verses 65-70, we find many prominent families
donating silver, gold, and priestly garments for the reconstruction of the
temple. It can thus be anticipated that these people will expect to have a say
in how the new temple is built and who will be in charge.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ezra 3: Rebuilding the Altar<o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l5 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Avenir Next LT Pro"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Verse 3: The altar is built “despite their fear
of the peoples around them.” The seeds of conflict are already bearing their
ugly fruit.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l5 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Avenir Next LT Pro"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Verse 7: A new economy takes shape as masons and
carpenters are hired to construct the new temple. Phoenician workers are
brought over from Tye and Sidon who are skilled in construction with the cedar
timbers native to that area. Levites twenty years and older are employed to
supervise the work.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l5 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Avenir Next LT Pro"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Verse 12: Older priests and family heads who had
seen the former temple complained about the new temple taking shape, for it
paled in its magnificence to the temple Solomon had built which Nebuchadnezzar
destroyed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ezra 4: Opposition Grows<o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Avenir Next LT Pro"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Verse 1: The term “enemies of Judah and
Benjamin” is code for Samaritans, or what remained of the ten tribes which
broke off from the Southern Kingdom. As we know from the Old Testament,
Samaritans were hated by Judeans. Not only did they not worship God in
Jerusalem but on Mount Gerizim, they had intermarried with Assyrian peoples who
populated their lands after the Northern Kingdom was conquered. Their ancestral
bloodline was considered to have been corrupted, and thus it was believed were
not true Hebrews.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Avenir Next LT Pro"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Verse 2: These peoples were guilty of worshiping
idols in addition to the God of Israel.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Avenir Next LT Pro"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Verse 4: <i>Are Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the heads
of the prominent families being xenophobic and bigoted in their rejection of
the Samaritans?</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Avenir Next LT Pro"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Verse 5: <i>Why do you think the Samaritans were
determined to thwart construction of the new temple?</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Avenir Next LT Pro"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Verse 6: The Samaritans dispatch a letter of
complaint to King Artaxerxes, who orders an immediate halt to the rebuilding of
Jerusalem and its temple. This is evidence that the rift between Samaritans and
Judeans is fully aflame.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ezra 5: Reconstruction Resumes<o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Avenir Next LT Pro"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Zerubbabel, with the blessing of the prophet
Haggai, resumes reconstruction of the temple. Tattenai, the governor, confronts
them and dispatches a letter to King Darius, who affirms Cyrus’s edict and
further decrees that no official is to interfere with the work on this temple
of God. Furthermore, the expenses for the reconstruction are to be paid from
the royal treasury and all that is necessary for religious sacrifices are to be
provided. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Avenir Next LT Pro"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Verse 14: Reconstruction is completed on
September 21, 520 B.C.E., about 3½ years after it began. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Avenir Next LT Pro"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Verse 21: The Passover is celebrated with those
who had renounced the gods of their Gentile neighbors. This likely included
Samaritans. This inclusion will not last.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">For further discussion:<o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Avenir Next LT Pro"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The prophets are silent on the inclusion or
exclusion of Samaritans and other peoples from the reconstruction of the temple
and the celebration of the Passover. We know where Ezra stands. <i>Do you think
this is a prophetic accident, leaving it up to the reader to decide on what
should have been done? Or, are we being challenged to think about what we would
do in a similar situation?</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Avenir Next LT Pro"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->In Ezra and Nehemiah, we find numerous examples
of humanity’s tendency to use purity standards to benefit and/or exclude specific groups of
people. <i>Is it fair to say that the leaders are bigoted, or are they scared of
foreign peoples corrupting their faithfulness to God?</i></span><o:p></o:p></p>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-26016528056514112752023-12-24T04:00:00.000-08:002023-12-24T04:00:00.134-08:00Where Christ Comes Home for Christmas: Luke 2:1-20 - Christmas Eve<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Chances are, you know the song “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I'll_Be_Home_for_Christmas" target="_blank">I’ll Be Home for Christmas</a>.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kim Gannon and Walter Kent wrote the song from the point of
view of a soldier stationed overseas during World War 2. But nobody wanted to
record the song because it was too sad, especially in its last line “I’ll be
home for Christmas <i>if only in my dreams</i>.” So, Gannon sang it to his
friend Bing Crosby during a game of golf, and he loved it. Crosby recorded the
song in October of 1943, and it quickly rose to the top of the charts. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It has stood the test of time, because everyone can relate
to the pain of being away from home at Christmas and separated from the people
you love, for any number of reasons.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1bqdNFcpVGZ408eeYGAft4qhzZUB48mEL6AIp9t1BGm0vU7S_2p1cRFKCs2s504MBc8r_HcAY0fTpdUntWkTE3AgcdOfJ1HA1cbdmVH1yJ12PV-kGQdrYMXhLU33rJdsu_jFC0OMz7J1kNa_TP1EuBvqq2dcXQgvj1o4GHOhLuMd0RGmBI4x41_2Kogl/s2048/408115025_709059391361870_6194411826412802501_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1bqdNFcpVGZ408eeYGAft4qhzZUB48mEL6AIp9t1BGm0vU7S_2p1cRFKCs2s504MBc8r_HcAY0fTpdUntWkTE3AgcdOfJ1HA1cbdmVH1yJ12PV-kGQdrYMXhLU33rJdsu_jFC0OMz7J1kNa_TP1EuBvqq2dcXQgvj1o4GHOhLuMd0RGmBI4x41_2Kogl/s320/408115025_709059391361870_6194411826412802501_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Jesus in the Rubble at Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem. Source: <a href="https://scontent-den4-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/408115025_709059391361870_6194411826412802501_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=3635dc&_nc_ohc=tZmVZfBQeusAX9MNZge&_nc_ht=scontent-den4-1.xx&oh=00_AfCJqYez_ydkJkkEU40mLVGi7z6ZcsQvRrMXzOLR8ez0yw&oe=658CBAA3" target="_blank">Facebook</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.unrefugees.org/refugee-facts/statistics/" target="_blank">According to the United Nations Council on Human Rights</a>, 110
million people have been displaced from their homes due to persecution, famine,
and war. In fact, this is the worst global refugee crisis since World War 2. And
this 110 million doesn’t include the those who are fighting on the front lines
of global conflicts, many against their own will. It doesn’t include anyone
hospitalized or imprisoned; nor does it include children in foster care or
nursing home residents.<o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgze-goSM0zv0e4apoKZAGhTIoFy_rVE7Ec6Wk5sES4P80iD_f2snoLjZ_xFxnuqXGGV2qEXh32GTR6DKjxrlx9WD1YHELjVkZeFqk8kViuU2u5REqalYB4uAaD2QuBJ6Pjyj8NvGID7-g4XYMwgLe2pZb9_8d1q1Zr4MpvYqqENFhTTpGURd1Ung_dMrqJ/s4200/manger_27537bc.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3150" data-original-width="4200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgze-goSM0zv0e4apoKZAGhTIoFy_rVE7Ec6Wk5sES4P80iD_f2snoLjZ_xFxnuqXGGV2qEXh32GTR6DKjxrlx9WD1YHELjVkZeFqk8kViuU2u5REqalYB4uAaD2QuBJ6Pjyj8NvGID7-g4XYMwgLe2pZb9_8d1q1Zr4MpvYqqENFhTTpGURd1Ung_dMrqJ/s320/manger_27537bc.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Photo credit: <a href="http://churchart.com">churchart.com</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 274.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But if we listen very closely to
the Nativity Story, we find that Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus have much in
common with them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 274.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Emperor Augustus decreed that all persons must return to
their ancestral hometowns to be registered for taxes. Joseph and the expectant
Mary dutifully obey, leaving their home in Nazareth to make the ninety-mile
trip to Bethlehem.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+2%3A1-20&version=NRSVUE" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Click here to read the Scripture text</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When they arrived in Bethlehem, it was night, and the time
came for Mary to deliver her child. Unfortunately, she was forced to give birth
to Jesus in a manger, because “there was no room in the inn.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To be clear, hotels and motels didn’t exist back then. If
they were going to find lodging, it was going to be with relatives. Still,
either nobody <i>could</i> take them in, or nobody <i>would</i> take them in. It
appears that Joseph and his family were not welcome in his own hometown. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To make matters worse, they won’t be returning to Nazareth
once the registration is completed. When King Herod learns from the Magi about
the birth of the King of the Jews in Bethlehem, he murders all little boys under
the age of three. It is only by the grace of God that the family escapes to
Egypt. Thus, Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus became just like our modern
world’s 110 million refugees. Though they will eventually return to Nazareth
and resume their lives, Jesus will be expelled from his hometown shortly after he
begins his ministry. The entire earth will reject Jesus when he’s nailed to the
cross. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's sad as these facts may be, there is good news which
gives us hope: Jesus is born into the displacement and disorientation we all
face in life. He is born to those who don’t belong; those who get left behind;
those for whom daily life is anything but heavenly. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Simply put, <span style="color: #c00000;">Jesus makes his home
with those who will not be at home (or feel at home) this Christmas. </span>This
includes<span style="color: #c00000;"> </span>the<span style="color: #c00000;"> </span>more
than 110 million people around the world displaced from their homes, and the
millions more wandering the streets hungry and homeless. And Jesus will enter
the grave in solidarity with all people throughout history who’ve been denied God’s
gift of life.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Christmas may be a painful reminder that things aren’t the
way they <i>used</i> to be, or the way they <i>should</i> be. But that doesn’t
mean that Jesus isn’t here. <span style="color: #c00000;">Christmas awakens us to
the reality of Jesus, who takes on all the loneliness, the pain, the rejection,
and the powerlessness we all experience in life. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When Jesus shows up, things change. People change. <i>You</i>
change.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Christmas is a time for all of us to be reborn into a living
hope. You have hope because you have Jesus. Christmas happens every time you
bow your head in prayer; every time you open your Bible; every time you put
yourself aside to receive the gift of Jesus. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The number one reason to come to church is to receive Jesus
in the word, in the sacraments, and in the people of God so that you will see
him at work in your daily life. Like the shepherds, your work will become
worship and an occasion to bear witness to Christ. God doesn’t use manger
scenes to show Jesus to the world. God uses people like you to bring Christ
alive. People will notice that you are kind, generous, and patient. They will
notice your forgiveness. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You may be anxious about the changes and challenges the new
year may bring. But by faith, you will witness Christ being born in them. To
truly know Jesus is to experience him not in the absence of adversity but amid adversity.
Hard times are the mangers where you are reborn with Christ into a new
creation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Even if you’ve been more naughty than nice, you are
forgiven. In Christ you are dead to sin and risen to new life and a new
beginning. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This Christmas may God’s Holy Spirit awaken you to the
Christ who makes his home with you. When you see Christian love changing lives,
when you have strength to do things you couldn’t do before, when you endure and
overcome the unimaginable, it’s not a dream. It’s Jesus. It’s Christmas.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0Leechburg, PA 15656, USA40.62701 -79.605601212.316776163821153 -114.7618512 68.937243836178851 -44.449351199999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-14964749475338724452023-12-10T04:00:00.000-08:002023-12-10T04:00:00.125-08:00Advent in the Ashes: Ezra 1:1-4; 3:1-4, 10-13 - Third Sunday of Advent<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">We’d just moved back onto campus for our final year of
seminary when we received some sad news about a former classmate: lightning had
struck her church, and the fire burned the building to the ground. Miraculously,
no one was hurt, especially given the fact that a daycare center operated
within the church.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The campus pastor organized a carpool so that we could
attend a prayer vigil being held that evening in the parking lot of the
burned-out church, located just outside of Harrisburg. When we arrived,
firefighters were still dousing the smoldering timbers. An excavator had been
hired to demolish what was left of the building to prevent further flare-ups. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4x4Rig9EnDNzkhoNSUKZtdgRXK6Hia14Nqt5XeWT3w2Xu2MWEBsz8_g08jHgUr8VfrzpQXajUiDXEr8jQZ6I8cKMTa6L1UW7wl4oMhahYs0cwhpqy9a6z4clMjsX1XX56S4Wnvv7Y1UZvXSYMsVbcPWGMgl-_mndWetUeC7AYZ563Fnwox5J0gX3V6Cd-/s2400/patrick-hendry-gUgZHR-A5JM-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1469" data-original-width="2400" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4x4Rig9EnDNzkhoNSUKZtdgRXK6Hia14Nqt5XeWT3w2Xu2MWEBsz8_g08jHgUr8VfrzpQXajUiDXEr8jQZ6I8cKMTa6L1UW7wl4oMhahYs0cwhpqy9a6z4clMjsX1XX56S4Wnvv7Y1UZvXSYMsVbcPWGMgl-_mndWetUeC7AYZ563Fnwox5J0gX3V6Cd-/s320/patrick-hendry-gUgZHR-A5JM-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="rTNyH RZQOk BYUog">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@worldsbetweenlines?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Patrick Hendry</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/photo-of-bonfire-gUgZHR-A5JM?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">All the while, hundreds of people stood by, staring helplessly
at the ruins. Then, it began to rain. Fortunately, the fire department invited
everyone to gather for the vigil inside their social hall. The large space was
absolutely packed. And there, we sang hymns, listened to Scripture, and
celebrated Holy Communion. Stories were shared of the bravery and selflessness
of the day care workers and emergency responders. Church members and neighbors spoke
of how much the church meant to them and how badly they wanted to see it
rebuilt.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the speakers said, “it would be nice if we could worship
like this every Sunday!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They’d probably have been the largest church in town if that
were the case.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It begs the question: why did the church building need to
burn down for so many people to care about it?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are few things more difficult than walking into a
church for the first time as a stranger, unsure of what to expect. But that
night was different. Nobody was a stranger because that fire touched all of
their lives in some way. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I also think the community needed to celebrate the
selflessness and bravery of their neighbors, and give thanks that the only loss
was a building which can be replaced. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lastly, people came there hungry for resurrection, hoping to
see this congregation rise from of the ashes and rebuild.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Today’s Old Testament reading tells a similar story. Fifty
years prior, the armies of Babylon conquered the Southern Kingdom of divided
Israel. In the process, they destroyed the city of Jerusalem, including the
temple. All but a few people had been taken into exile. But Babylon had just
been conquered by the Persians, and their King Cyrus permitted the exiles to
return and rebuild Jerusalem. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezra+1%3A1-4%3B+3%3A1-4%2C+10-13&version=NRSVUE" target="_blank">Click here to read the Scripture text</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As you might imagine, this was something that no one (except
for the prophets) saw coming. But this was hardly a return to normal. The city was
in ruins. And the prophets made it very clear that this was God’s punishment
for having abandoned God’s Law and worshiping idols.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Today, we find God’s people gathering for worship amid the
ruins of the former temple. They are celebrating Feast of Booths, which had not
been done consistently for centuries. I daresay that there were more people
worshipping <i>now</i> in the rubble than when the temple had been standing. As
the foundation stones of a new temple are laid, the people weep loudly, though
none could distinguish the cries of grief from the cries of joy. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How sad it is that it took a devastating exile and conquest to
get God’s people back to worship. But that’s just how it is in life: you don’t
know what you have until you don’t have it anymore. Though we abandon God, God
never abandons us. But we lose so much when turn to other gods and other pursuits
to satisfy our deepest longings, and there is no time of year when we do this
more than at Christmas. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas. But Christmas in 21<sup>st</sup>
century America has very little to do with Jesus, and far more to do with consumerism
and stressing ourselves out in hopes that our celebrations will live up to what
you see on the Hallmark Channel.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But what if all that’s out of reach for you? What if you
lack the means to shop ‘till you drop? What if you’re grieving loved ones? What
if everyone else’s supposed jubilation makes you feel worse?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have news for you: the gift of Jesus is going to mean a
lot more to you than it will to those who have more than enough to make the
season bright. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The reason why we celebrate Advent instead of rushing ahead
to Christmas is so that we can come to grips with the emptiness and ruin which
exists in our lives and our world apart from Jesus Christ. There’s no point
celebrating Jesus if you have no appreciation for how much you need him. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #c00000;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And Jesus comes to us, not in
the goods of this world of plenty, but in the brokenness and ruin that afflict
us. It’s in the ashes that God gives new birth. It is in the dark of night that
light shines. It is when we have nothing else to cling to that we find in Jesus
everything we need. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The fact that our Savior is worshiped in a manger rather
than a temple goes to show you what kind of Savior he is: a Savior born into your
brokenness. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But he is also the neighbor who’s hungry, lonely, sick, and
dying. You can make Christmas happen for them just by showing up, doing what is
in your power to do, giving of what you have in abundance. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, if this Christmas is full of wonder and joy, praise God!
Be thankful. But if it’s not, take heart. It is in brokenness that you become
the person God created you to be. When you can’t face the future because your
life is in ruins, Jesus makes a new beginning. Out of death he makes
resurrection. He turns your tears of sadness and shame into tears of joy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Blessed be the brokenness where Jesus shows up. Blessed be the
ashes where Advent arises. </span><o:p></o:p></p>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0Leechburg, PA 15656, USA40.62701 -79.605601212.316776163821153 -114.7618512 68.937243836178851 -44.449351199999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-2383083590919188072023-11-26T04:00:00.000-08:002023-11-26T04:00:00.137-08:00The Days Have Surely Come: Jeremiah 33:14-18 - Second Sunday of Advent<p>Generations of my family have earned their living in the coal
mines of Greene County, Pennsylvania. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This was why my family was glued to the television in the
summer of 2002, when a flood trapped nine men inside the <a href="https://youtu.be/UPPoUKORPAg?si=cKfmRySDLFabWLuI" target="_blank">Quecreek Mine in Somerset County</a>. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All communication with the miners had been cut off. Nobody up
top knew if they were alive. Given the extent of the flooding, there was only
one spot within the vast networks of tunnels and shafts where they could be
alive: the section of the mine having the highest elevation. Using GPS, they
were able to pinpoint this location on the surface, and they began drilling a
small borehole for ventilation. Amazingly, they detected the faint sound of
nine consecutive hammer strikes on the steel pipe. The miners were alive. But
for how long?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The flood waters kept rising. Oxygen was running out. There
was very little light, food, or water. Each passing moment reduced the
probability of rescue. </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUcLUwG-RMdkFL3gOR0APeHwvz89GWJ2fL6wOBYS1aLGPmo6Dlrc5f0mcw01LRhPJFPXnkIU-XU_d0nzaEojFZggWibbFXBKO5vIBQWQvXuZgpLu26b1xkSgHh_hPC6QyQuB4AYT_UXF7CumlsYDfAiR5SYu6tZeH30rj5qyUFdW9BUjYIih3oi8-OLYxS/s5428/kalisa-veer-d4Slzw31UZc-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3619" data-original-width="5428" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUcLUwG-RMdkFL3gOR0APeHwvz89GWJ2fL6wOBYS1aLGPmo6Dlrc5f0mcw01LRhPJFPXnkIU-XU_d0nzaEojFZggWibbFXBKO5vIBQWQvXuZgpLu26b1xkSgHh_hPC6QyQuB4AYT_UXF7CumlsYDfAiR5SYu6tZeH30rj5qyUFdW9BUjYIih3oi8-OLYxS/s320/kalisa-veer-d4Slzw31UZc-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@kalisaveer?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">KaLisa Veer</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/lighted-candle-on-white-wall-d4Slzw31UZc?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a>
</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> Nevertheless, the crews immediately got to work drilling a
much-larger rescue shaft. Soon, the miners could hear the faint sound of
drilling. Unfortunately, the drill broke, and the rescue ground to a halt. For
eighteen long hours, there was only silence. Eventually, the miners began
writing goodbye letters to their loved ones and sealing them inside a bucket.
Time was running out.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile, a new drilling rig was rushed in from West
Virginia, and the digging continued, though not without complications. Finally,
the drill broke through. Fear turned to joy when they heard the faint sound of
nine hammer strikes on the steel bit. After 77 harrowing hours, each of the
nine miners was lifted to the surface inside a rescue capsule. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This was a miracle not only of modern technology but of
human ingenuity, determination, and the will to survive. So many times, it
seemed as though all hope was lost. But they refused to give up. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In our Old Testament reading, we find the Old Testament
prophet facing circumstances every bit as dire as the miners. He is chained up inside
the palace of Zedekiah, his king, for prophesying the fall of Jerusalem to the
Babylonians. From the king’s point-of-view, this was treason, but from
Jeremiah’s point of view, this was truth. God’s people had forsaken God’s law and
turned to idols. They refused to repent. And now, they were about to suffer the
consequences.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2033:14-18&version=NRSVUE" target="_blank">Click here to read the Scripture text</a><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All this spells bad news for God’s people, but especially
for Jeremiah. If Zedekiah doesn’t kill him, the Babylonians likely will. And
this is so unfair because Jeremiah wasn’t guilty of the sins of his fellow
Israelites. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But there was another important truth that only someone like
Jeremiah could know: God had not, and would never, abandon his people. Even
though they are suffering the consequences of their sins, there is hope. There
is a way forward. God will deliver his people from their unrighteousness, and
from the might of the Babylonians. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But God’s salvation is not something that will happen in a
far-off place at a far-off time. God is laying the foundations and sowing the
seeds right now. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is speaking,
through the prophet Jeremiah, to awaken his people to this new reality. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is what Advent is all about—being awakened to the
saving actions of God happening all around us. However, salvation doesn’t drop
from the sky as a quick, easy fix to all our problems. It’s a process. It’s a
journey. And it is a new reality breaking through the old. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Without faith, though, all these promises are meaningless. It
is only by faith that you can see the works of God amid the chaos and decay. Remember:
faith isn’t something you create in yourself. You can only receive faith from
the Holy Spirit. How does the Holy Spirit create faith? It’s through the Word
of God, spoken through prophets like Jeremiah and others who believe in God’s
promises. But it’s up to you to nurture your faith with prayer and Scripture
reading. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Furthermore, Faith is not a private, personal pursuit. Faith
exists in relationships, for it is the Body of Christ which exercises faith.
You would not be a Christian if people hadn’t ministered Christ to you. In the
same way that no one could have single-handedly rescued those trapped miners,
much of God’s works are accomplished in community. Just as every single rescue
worker had an important role which contributed to the rescue, every individual
in the Body of Christ matters greatly. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">God’s salvation isn’t so much brought <i>to</i> us as it is
brought to life <i>through</i> us. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Even though we’re a long way off from <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>the peaceful reality Jeremiah describes, <span style="color: #c00000;">God’s salvation isn’t so much the destination as it is the
journey</span>. We have hope, not because we’ve reached the destination, but because
Jesus making the journey with us. God’s Kingdom is not a far-off place in a
far-off time. God’s Kingdom happens now, whenever God’s promises are spoken, and
we, as God’s people listen to God’s Word and act on it. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jeremiah said, “The days are surely coming.” But Jesus Christ
reigns, which means “the days have come.” God is here, there, and everywhere where
God’s Word is spoken, and God’s will is done. When you have people doing God’s
work in the world, things change. Broken lives are healed. Needs are met. Peace
is made. Justice and righteousness become a reality. The world will take notice
as we do good to others while everyone else pursues power, privilege, and
pleasure. We can work miracles. We can either move mountains of drill holes in
them. \We can make tomorrow better than today. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0Leechburg, PA 15656, USA40.62701 -79.605601212.316776163821153 -114.7618512 68.937243836178851 -44.449351199999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-33688662510689668452023-11-19T04:00:00.000-08:002023-11-19T04:00:00.130-08:00I Am Listening: 2 Kings 22:1--23:3 - Christ the King Sunday<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After church one Sunday, Elizabeth and I met some friends for lunch at a restaurant in Indiana. At the salad bar, a gentleman with a long beard dressed in a black suit and a cowboy hat said to me, “do you preach the bible at your church?”</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I smiled and said, “nothing but!” He smiled back and said, “keep it up,” and that was the end of our conversation. </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6O3sEzw358y8Lp_b_iUD-yZKE96_GvPqKHaZ09Duijki_Kg_P1iLax8BtwVxDb8lJcI_VjNGvdu19XQ8cuaOls-AMkWB3BDPIuKApvQTMYVlXxcIm5Ql2TcDVAAJppQLpGBXQ04rafLGlgQfSqEX5TmatLeQBTDtPde7uYiv_92c4ub9JdBlY6IJIVA8n/s1024/bible_7488cnp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6O3sEzw358y8Lp_b_iUD-yZKE96_GvPqKHaZ09Duijki_Kg_P1iLax8BtwVxDb8lJcI_VjNGvdu19XQ8cuaOls-AMkWB3BDPIuKApvQTMYVlXxcIm5Ql2TcDVAAJppQLpGBXQ04rafLGlgQfSqEX5TmatLeQBTDtPde7uYiv_92c4ub9JdBlY6IJIVA8n/s320/bible_7488cnp.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://churchart.com">churchart.com</a></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As he walked away, I wondered if he thought I might say, “no, we don’t do that at my church,” as if we gather every Sunday morning to watch me do cooking demonstrations or something of the sort.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And yet, today’s Old Testament reading comes from a time when God’s own people neither worshiped God nor paid any attention to God’s Word. This also happened to be a very chaotic time for the Southern Kingdom of divided Israel.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Kings%2022:1-23:3&version=NRSVUE" target="_blank">Click here to read the Scripture text</a></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They had just suffered the fifty-five-year reign of King Manasseh, quite possibly the most corrupt and violent king to ever take the throne. He built altars to Ba’al and a statue to Asherah inside the Jerusalem Temple (21:4-7). This man was so evil that he sacrificed his son to idols (cf. 2 Kings 21:6). The Scriptures record that he shed enough innocent blood “to fill Jerusalem from one end to the other” (cf. 2 Kings 21:16).</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When his reign of terror ended, his 22-year-old son Amon succeeded him, but he was just as evil as his dad. However, his reign lasted only two years, as he was assassinated by his own officials. Then the people assassinated the assassins, and after a bloody coup d’état, the people put Amon’s eight-year-old son Josiah on the throne. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the eighteenth year of his reign, Josiah gave orders for the Jerusalem temple to be repaired. As the renovations were taking place, the high priest found the Scroll containing the Law of Moses, in the same way that people remodel old houses and find priceless artifacts and antiques hidden behind the walls or underneath the floorboards.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The high priest informs the Josiah of what he found, and when Josiah reads the scroll, he tears his robes in anguish. In a moment of brutal clarity, Josiah understood that all the chaos and bloodshed which occurred under the reigns of his father and grandfather was a result of God’s Word being lost and forgotten. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The king then ordered his secretary to visit the prophetess Huldah to inquire of the Lord. She declared that the Lord was indeed about to bring disaster upon the nation on account of their sins. But Josiah, being penitent for his people’s sin, would be spared. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Josiah then ordered his officials to cleanse the land of all the idols and all their altars and statues. The Law of Moses was reestablished as the law of the land. For the first time in generations, the people of God celebrated the Passover.</span></p>
<p style="color: #b00004; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite the chaos and terror, God never abandoned his people. God was still speaking. All it took was someone who would listen to that word and act on it.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">God is still speaking today, speaking words of promise and hope but also words of warning and judgment. But who’s listening? </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">All throughout the Old Testament, God punished his people by bringing disaster upon them, because that was the only way to break them away from their sin. It’s not for me or anyone to say that today’s calamities are divine punishments. What I will say, though, is that things in our world would not be the way they are if people obeyed the Word of God and loved their neighbor as themselves. </span></p>
<p style="color: #b00004; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Above, below, and within the chaos and suffering, God is calling, God is <i>shouting</i> for us to turn to him. <span style="color: black;">What you must do is STOP and LISTEN. STOP worrying and rushing about. Stop trying to control things you cannot change. STOP blaming yourself and others for the way things are. </span>It’s time to be still and listen because God is speaking. And God’s word is life.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the instant that you stop and listen, God’s power takes hold of you. Suddenly, you can breathe again! You have the <b>peace</b> that comes with trusting that your life is in God’s hands. You have <b>purpose</b>, because the love of God that’s flowing into you will also flow out of you. You have <b>hope</b> that tomorrow <i>can</i> be better than today.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When we, as the Body of Christ, commit to hitting pause on the busyness of our lives and come together to pray and listen to the Word, God’s power is multiplied. When love is real and genuine among us, we find God in each other. And together, we become a loud, but loving voice, a mighty but gentle force for good in the community.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Whenever there’s an unmet need, we are a congregation that rolls up its sleeves and gets to work, and we make big things happen (with God’s help). But we all need more Christ in our lives. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a HUGE growth opportunity for each of you, as well as for us as a congregation. Lest you rush through each day, frantically going from one task to the next; and you feel like you’re at your breaking point, given all the stress, the worry, and the fear… Why should anything else but the very Word of God be the driving force in your life? </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The greatest peace comes not from having everything in your life under control. It’s not dependent on circumstance. It doesn’t depend on how much money you have or how many creature comforts you can afford. It does not demand that you satisfy everyone’s great expectations of you. Your greatest peace is your relationship with God, which you claim by letting go of everything else and coming before God in prayer, opening the Scriptures for God to speak, and by sharing in the fellowship of believers who love you in Christ. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">God is still speaking. Those who have peace, those who have wisdom, those who have courage and hope are those who listen and obey. <i>Will that be you?</i> </span></p>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0Leechburg, PA 15656, USA40.62701 -79.605601212.316776163821153 -114.7618512 68.937243836178851 -44.449351199999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-66155077104623421732023-11-15T18:00:00.011-08:002023-11-16T06:40:20.300-08:00Bible Study Blog - Israel, Palestine, Prophecy and History: Understanding Viewpoints of the Christian Left and Right<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #255fa6;">Terminology</span></span></h3>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Christian Right</b> – fundamentalist / evangelical / conservative Christians who allied with the Republican Party in the 1980s and tend to vote for Republican candidates. Some would consider Southern Baptists, the Assemblies of God, The Church of God, the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, traditionalist Catholics, most televangelists, and most nondenominational congregations to belong to the Christian Right.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Christian Left</b> – mainline Protestant / liberal / progressives who tend to vote for Democratic candidates. Some would consider the ELCA, Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Methodist Church, the Episcopal Church, and a very small number of nondenominational congregations and urban, new start worshipping communities as belonging to the Christian Left.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Israel</b> – the descendants or Israel/Jacob which includes modern Jews (and technically Christians). Can also refer to the geographic region we know as the Holy Land.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>State of Israel</b> – the political entity founded in 1948.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The State of Israel </span></p>
<h3 style="color: #255fa6; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Christian Right</span></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>God’s word commands Christians to support Israel, per Genesis 12:3a: “<i>I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse…</i>”</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>When reading Scripture, “if plain sense makes sense, seek no other sense.” (Tim LaHaye)</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Makes no distinction between biblical Israel and the State of Israel. Biblical Israel = State of Israel = Jews.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>The territory established in the Old Testament belongs to the Jews. No one else has any claim upon the land. God’s Law trumps international law.</span></li>
<li style="color: #0b4cb4; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"><a href="https://firmisrael.org/learn/8-biblical-reasons-stand-with-israel-today/"><span style="color: #0b4cb4; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">Christians and America must bless (the State of) Israel</span></a></span><span style="color: black;"> or fall under God’s curse. </span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 2px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="color: #255fa6; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Christian Right fully embraces Christian Zionism</span></p>
<ol>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 was mandated by God and is undeniable proof of the validity of the Bible.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Israel must be blessed and defended by Christians (and by America). Those who fail to do so are defying the will of God.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Israel and Jerusalem are the locus of end times prophecies, particularly Ezekiel 38-48 and Revelation 21:9—22:15. Simply put, <i>Israel is where the action is</i>.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Generally, there is no biblical support for a two-state solution. The Holy Land belongs to the Jews.</span></li>
</ol>
<p style="color: #313131; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 43.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>“When we support Israel, we are supporting the only nation that was created by an act of God. We are declaring that the Bible is true…. Yet if we touch Jerusalem, which is prophecy, America will lose the blessing of God and America will tragically lose the war on terrorism.” –</i>Mike Evans of the Jerusalem Prayer Team.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXupcBLJ0auqBpBLgXZ5FyYUjMcYUfKimaAZ2bugV6GK1oFb7LvqtIemiJgOYSKx0wavx-V8slh5t0_XdubK4vucAoVi9CJCua44W07uJJjG3R-1YHLS9_bvb4lNjDIpIQFS9b4aEBV_Mc79sTtYCUOW-Vld2HWgeNYqA03jCinaQ3nqyGUgrEOxjkpyP/s2000/764622570_orig.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1225" data-original-width="2000" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXupcBLJ0auqBpBLgXZ5FyYUjMcYUfKimaAZ2bugV6GK1oFb7LvqtIemiJgOYSKx0wavx-V8slh5t0_XdubK4vucAoVi9CJCua44W07uJJjG3R-1YHLS9_bvb4lNjDIpIQFS9b4aEBV_Mc79sTtYCUOW-Vld2HWgeNYqA03jCinaQ3nqyGUgrEOxjkpyP/s320/764622570_orig.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://www.palestineportal.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Map_CartographicRegression_HistoryNotes.jpg">PalestinePortal.org</a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="color: #255fa6; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Christian Left</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Highly supportive of a <span style="text-decoration: underline;">two-state solution</span>, where borders are re-established according to the 1947 U.N. partition plan.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Views the ongoing conflict through the lens of <span style="text-decoration: underline;">power differentials</span>.</span></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>In 1917, British Foreign Secretary James Balfour approved the creation of a national homeland for Jews in Palestine without any conversation or cooperation with Palestinians already living within the territory.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>In 1947, the United Nations partitions British Mandatory Palestine into two separate states. Jewish leaders accept the proposal while Palestinian Arab leaders reject it.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Since the State of Israel was established in 1948, Western Powers have supported the buildup of Israel’s military, including the development of its nuclear weapons.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Israel is now a wealthy and militarily powerful nation, oppressing poorer Palestinians and depriving them of civil and human rights.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>While condemning terrorist attacks committed against Israeli citizens, Israel continues to be seen as the aggressor, particularly given the buildup of settlements in the West Bank.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Many voices within the Christian Left speak of the State of Israel as an <span style="text-decoration: underline;">apartheid state</span>, citing the Israeli construction of new settlements on Palestinian territories, security barriers, military checkpoints, </span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"><a href="https://bdsmovement.net/what-is-bds"><span style="color: #0b4cb4; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">BDS Movement</span></a></span> (Boycotts, Divestments, Sanctions) - a Palestinian-led movement applying political and economic pressure on the State of Israel through boycotts, divestments, and sanctions of Israeli corporations, banks, or institutions, as well as any economic entity doing business with them.</span></li>
</ul>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Incidentally, it was the Christian Left which advocated for the establishment of a Jewish State following the Holocaust, whereas the Christian Right viewed political advocacy of any kind as a distraction from the church’s true business of preaching the Gospel. In fact, the Christian Right did not embrace the State of </span>Israel<span style="font-family: inherit;"> until Hal </span>Lindsey<span style="font-family: inherit;"> published his groundbreaking book The Late Great Planet Earth, which placed Israel and Jerusalem at the center of biblical end times </span></span>prophecy.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><p style="color: #255fa6; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The ELCA’s Peace Not Walls Campaign </span></p>
<p style="color: #0b4cb4; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(<a href="http://www.elca.org/peacenotwalls"><span style="color: #0b4cb4;">http://www.elca.org/peacenotwalls</span></a>)</span></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The ELCA’s <b><i>Peace Not Walls</i></b> campaign espouses most of the principles of the Christian Left and denounce Christian Zionist or Christian Right “beliefs and actions which:”</span></p>
<ol>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">elevate our nation or any nation or people to the role of God.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">find ultimate security in weapons and warfare.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">ordain the inherent right of one people, race, or civilization to rule over others.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">promise a perfect, peaceful society through the efforts of a self-sufficient humanity. </span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">despair of any possibility for peace.</span></li>
</ol>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 2px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="color: #255fa6; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Basics</span></p>
<ol>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The ELCA has a longstanding relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, which operates schools and hospitals serving Christian and Muslim Palestinians. <u>Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH) </u>is the first and only hospital to provide radiation therapy for cancer patients in the Palestinian territories and the only medical facility in the West Bank offering pediatric kidney dialysis.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Calls for an end to all forms of violent conflict on both sides and the establishment of a viable, independent Palestinian state, as well as a secure Israel. Other demands include:</span></li>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from Palestinian areas</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Establishing an international peacekeeping presence in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The removal of walls and barriers on Palestinian lands</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The removal of all settlements beyond 1967 borders and a halt to all new constructions of settlements on the West Bank</span></li>
</ol>
</ol>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 2px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="color: #255fa6; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">From <i>Peace Not Walls</i> to <b><i>SAMUD: For Justice in Palestine and Israel.</i></b></span></p>
<ol>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A recent study conducted by the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) area desk of ELCA Service and Justice found that the <i>Peace Not Walls</i> language framed the conflict as an equal conflict between two equal sides, rather than the unjust occupation and deprivation of human rights by the wealthier and more powerful State of Israel.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In naming Palestine, the ELCA stands against the state of Israel’s attempts to erase Palestinian state identity; by naming Palestine first the ELCA points toward the reality of a current imbalance of justice and power.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Condemns the Israeli diplomatic and commercial efforts to “normalize” relations with countries in the MENA region through initiatives such as the Abraham Accords, which draw international attention away from the occupations.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Emphasizes the importance of preserving the multifaith character of Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza and Israel is crucial in ensuring that Palestinian Christians and Muslims have a future in the Holy Land. Palestinian Christians both preserve the Indigenous roots of the global Christian church and play a unique and irreplaceable role in Palestinian culture and civil society.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Recognizes the disproportionate losses to life and livelihoods suffered by Palestinians in comparison to Israeli citizens amid the ongoing violence.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Describes Israeli occupations of Palestine with the terms <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><i>Apartheid</i></span> and <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><i>Settler Colonialism</i></span> but stops short of denouncing Israel as guilty of either one.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Recommends the ELCA partner with BDS and divest investments, pensions and retirement funds from institutions deemed as participating in the abuse of Palestinian human rights.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Samud</i>, an Arabic word meaning “steadfastness,” is a term widely used to signify Palestinian resistance to the dehumanization and injustice of the Israeli occupation.</span></li>
</ol>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 2px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="color: #255fa6; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My take on Peace Not Walls or SAMUD</span></p>
<ol>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>PNW/Samud Views</i> the conflict through the eyes / perspectives of Lutherans and Christians who have been living in the holy land for generations. Neither the Christian Right nor the Christian Left pays much attention to Christians living within the region who are caught in the middle of the conflict.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The actions of the State of Israel condemned within </span><i style="font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal;">PNW/Samud</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> are undertaken by rightwing hardliners, of which President Benjamin Netanyahu is a main figurehead. Settlement construction is not supported by all Israelis. It is not fair to </span>lump<span style="font-family: inherit;"> in the actions of a political party or movement with the whole citizenry of a nation.</span></span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>PNW/Samud</i> views this conflict exclusively in terms oppressors and the oppressed. Unfortunately, this perspective provides no consideration to governments and well-funded terrorist organizations (including Hamas) which seek the complete destruction of the State of Israel.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>PNW/Samud</i> says little about Jews being one of the most persecuted racial minorities in human history. </span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“If the Arabs put down their weapons, there'd be peace. If the Jews put down their weapons, there'd be no more Jews in the Middle East.”</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Western efforts in establishing Western-style democracies in Middle Eastern countries have consistently failed.</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The widespread influence of extremist groups on both sides of the conflict makes the achievement of the above goals extremely difficult. It should be noted that high-ranking leaders including Egyptian President Anwar Saddat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin were assassinated by extremists within their own countries because of their peace-making leadership.</span></li></ol>Another perspective on the Palestine/Israeli conflict: <i><a href="https://youtu.be/kyW29JhzIWo?si=zRn9lE-p_pEd8A6G" target="_blank">Has Israel Established an Apartheid Regime in Palestine?</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kyW29JhzIWo" width="320" youtube-src-id="kyW29JhzIWo"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">For further reading:</p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://elca.org/crisis-holy-land?_ga=2.50982953.1299946460.1699746621-1002886963.1698791954">ELCA Resources for the Crisis in the Holy Land</a></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/PNW_Review_Summary_and_Recommendations_Official.pdf?_ga=2.216135702.1299946460.1699746621-1002886963.1698791954" target="_blank">From Peace Not Walls to Samud</a></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/AVH_update_July_2022.pdf?_ga=2.18413497.1299946460.1699746621-1002886963.1698791954" target="_blank">Augustus Victoria Hospital</a> in East Jerusalem</p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.elcjhl.org">The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land</a></p><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Check out our other studies:</h2><div><div style="text-align: left;">November 1: <a href="https://jamesarter3.blogspot.com/2023/11/bible-study-blog-israel-and-palestine.html">Israel and Palestine: Understanding the Roots of the Conflict </a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">October 18: <a href="https://jamesarter3.blogspot.com/2023/10/bible-study-blog-israel-palestine.html">Israel, Palestine, Prophecy, and History: Whose Land Is It Anyway?</a> </div>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-35171904834196843762023-11-12T04:00:00.001-08:002023-11-12T04:00:00.125-08:00Failure and Faith: Hosea 11:1-9 - 24th Sunday after Pentecost<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Can God make mistakes? Can God fail?</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Four thousand years ago, God promised to make a great nation of Abraham and Sarah, whose descendants would be more numerous than the stars in the sky. This nation was to be a light to all the nations of the world. God’s plan was to reconcile all the world through Israel, his chosen people. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When they were enslaved in Egypt, God acted with a mighty hand to free them. For forty years, God sustained them in the wilderness. God gave them land he had promised them, and under King David, they were the most powerful nation on earth. But it was not to last. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">David’s grandson was so corrupt that the nation split apart. Under the leadership of corrupt and incompetent kings, God’s people turned to other gods. They discarded God’s Law and became corrupt and violent. Injustice so poisoned their society that neither kingdom could hold itself together against the evil empires pressing in on their borders. </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hosea+11%3A1-9&version=NRSVUE" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Click here to read the Scripture text.</span></a></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Three hundred years after the triumphs of King David, the Northern Kingdom fell. The Southern Kingdom would fall one hundred thirty years later. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What else is there to say, then, but that God’s grand plan ended in failure?</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghAx9fnm26eL-PDCjAymL2lHzcFBmqdrS4zHV4eh04XeiqGFMBvOa5EtYhi6-onqI5JvGgBOzezJf12ySvUnc9Akl-J0zhRfxrcYGpt1YRKQTx_-qOOb-FZDQvT00pQ5WjhJJ-B29IHpJhTeUY-3joo_udEd5x8LYuilc1hITjKfHFriDQOmJky-Q8gt35/s3884/david-brooke-martin-qa4-KH8UjRA-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2600" data-original-width="3884" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghAx9fnm26eL-PDCjAymL2lHzcFBmqdrS4zHV4eh04XeiqGFMBvOa5EtYhi6-onqI5JvGgBOzezJf12ySvUnc9Akl-J0zhRfxrcYGpt1YRKQTx_-qOOb-FZDQvT00pQ5WjhJJ-B29IHpJhTeUY-3joo_udEd5x8LYuilc1hITjKfHFriDQOmJky-Q8gt35/s320/david-brooke-martin-qa4-KH8UjRA-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 233); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #0000e9; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@dbmartin00?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 233); font-kerning: none;">David Brooke Martin</span></a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/focus-photography-of-boy-standing-near-tree-qa4-KH8UjRA?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 233); font-kerning: none;">Unsplash</span></a></span></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The words of the Northern Kingdom prophet Hosea capture God’s absolute agony, that the child God had loved and raised up had turned from him. “The more I called them, the more they went from me,” God cries. Even when they were in distress, they still refused to return to their God. So, there was nothing more God could do for them. God gave them over to the Assyrians, who destroyed their towns and cities, confiscated their land, and took them into exile.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What else is there to conclude, then, except that God had failed?</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But how do you define failure?</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I don’t know about you, but I instantly think of all the tests I’ve taken in school, and elsewhere, that I’ve failed, either because I was unprepared, I made mistakes, or I did not understand what I needed to learn. Regardless, the responsibility for that failure fell on my shoulders, and not the teachers. (Those were the days).</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sometimes, failure happens for reasons totally beyond your control. Can you imagine having tried to open a restaurant at the start of the pandemic? How many times have we worked hard to plan a worship service or a ministry or an event, only for very few people to show up? And we are so quick to blame ourselves for that failure, especially when we see other people doing the very same things and being quite successful!</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But if there’s one thing you can say about God, it is this: <i>God is not a quitter</i>. Yes, God is anguished that his chosen people have turned away and are now suffering the inevitable consequences of their sins. Yet God’s compassion stretches beyond what any human parent would have for their own children. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As far as God is concerned, failure is not an option. God never stopped loving, teaching, defending, and rescuing his chosen people, even when they failed to do what was right. Even when God put on human flesh in Jesus Christ and we rejected and murdered him, God did not quit. The only way for God to fail is for God to stop existing. That’s not going to happen. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Furthermore, our failures do not get in God’s way. If anything, God uses our failures to act in our lives. Failure gets us out of God’s way so that we can learn to follow God’s way. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Failure is that teacher you had in school who was mercilessly challenging, and yet, you learned more from them than you ever could have had they been easy. Struggle and failure are a necessary part of the journey towards learning and growth.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When you fail, God is speaking. God may be telling you that the way you’ve been doing things isn’t working, and you need to try something else. You need to change. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Failure is what tests your convictions, because if you believe in something or desire something enough, failure will make you work harder. That’s how you get stronger. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Failure is what keeps you humble. It reminds you that God is God, and you are not. It not only keeps you dependent on God, it keeps you dependent on others. Nobody has ever changed the world all by themselves.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Make no mistake: sin is failure of the worst kind. Where there is sin, there are consequences. When you sin, other people suffer. When you trample on other people to get what you want, you diminish yourself in the process. God punishes your sin so that you do not persist in it. God’s punishment serves to teach you that righteousness is the better way.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But there is another kind of failure that’s also sin: <i>doing nothing. </i>It’s being so afraid of failure that you don’t even try. Let’s be honest: if you’re not going out of your comfort zone, taking risks, making mistakes, being rejected by others, challenging the status quo, and sometimes seeing your best efforts fail, you must ask: <i>are you really following Jesus?</i></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Too many Christians and too many congregations are living as though God has failed. But God never gives up. Even when we nailed God to the cross, God didn’t give up. And God certainly didn’t fail. God’s will shall be done, on earth as it is in heaven.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In Christ, we are forgiven of our sins and given grace to walk in newness of life. Failure is never forever. When ministry of Jesus’s love in word and deed fails to deliver what we had hoped, we don’t give up. We turn back to Jesus to make that failure a blessing. For nothing that we say or do in Christ’s name will ever be in vain. It is God, not us, who wins the victory. God does not quit. God never fails.</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0Leechburg, PA 15656, USA40.62701 -79.605601212.316776163821153 -114.7618512 68.937243836178851 -44.449351199999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-80943448585753050122023-11-05T04:00:00.001-08:002023-11-05T04:00:00.151-08:00Silencing the Voice of Doubt: 1 Kings 18:17-39 - All Saints Sunday<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“<i>If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it…”</i></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If it is broken, however, you have three options: repair it, replace it, or live without it. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cost usually dictates these decisions, unless, of course, the item in question is irreparable and irreplaceable.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some things, however, are easily replaceable; maybe too much for our own good.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcttEUFQYle5jLbF4RP13c98cGT12gjgvjhJ9TokhxEm6iB75Oz3Twz-wAmONi1EV5iGJGaTp92gqI0D9xagsrjhnuhUINhaYIzWUxNLeHRaZOZ0BWceNMhfvIsCsVVgP8VHNWSLz47gMtv3WO4EaGp2MqGBfawFTe1jXrPpiy3ScQDw6BP3niS3NAX5hu/s2100/woman_13843bc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="2100" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcttEUFQYle5jLbF4RP13c98cGT12gjgvjhJ9TokhxEm6iB75Oz3Twz-wAmONi1EV5iGJGaTp92gqI0D9xagsrjhnuhUINhaYIzWUxNLeHRaZOZ0BWceNMhfvIsCsVVgP8VHNWSLz47gMtv3WO4EaGp2MqGBfawFTe1jXrPpiy3ScQDw6BP3niS3NAX5hu/s320/woman_13843bc.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Photo credit: churchart.com</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Take King Ahab. He and his infamous wife Jezebel ruled over the northern kingdom of divided Israel. They are widely considered two of the bible’s worst villains for their violence and greed.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They were also downright fanatical in their worship of Ba’al, the rain and fertility god, and its wife, Asherah. When Ahab came to power, he erected an altar to Ba’al in the capital city of Samaria, and a sacred pole for Asherah. Their idolatry spread throughout the kingdom like a plague because people worshiped Ba’al by indulging the lusts of their flesh, instead of through sacrifice and righteousness. </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="URL: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%2018:17-39&version=NRSVUE" target="_blank">Click here to read the Scripture text</a></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then a drought struck, followed by a famine which lasted for three years. God sent the prophet Elijah to confront King Ahab for his idolatry, and to declare that it would not rain again until God said so.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One would think this would motivate Ahab and Jezebel to repent of their idolatry and return to the God of their ancestors. But quite the opposite happened. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jezebel goes on a murderous rampage, hunting down God’s prophets and killing them. When Elijah confronts Ahab a second time, Ahab calls Elijah “a troubler of Israel,” as if the famine was his fault. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Elijah responds by challenging Ahab to assemble the 400 prophets of Ba’al and the 450 prophets of Asherah, with all of Israel watching. Whichever god answers by fire will be proven to be the true God.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It comes as no surprise to us that God answered by down fire and Ba’al did not. When the people saw what God did, they fell on their faces and said, “the Lord indeed is God; the Lord indeed is God.” Elijah then orders the people to seize the 850 false prophets and put them to death. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Elijah then tells the stunned Ahab to get ready, because it’s going to rain. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You’d think that by now, Ahab and Jezebel would abandon their idols and worship God. But that’s not what happens. Jezebel swears an oath to kill Elijah in revenge for humiliating her.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s baffling that Ahab and Jezebel refuse to worship God, even though they’ve seen God’s mighty acts with their own eyes. Meanwhile, Elijah trusts and obeys God, even when it means risking his life.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you remember how I said that some things are easily replaceable? The essence of sin is replacing God with other things. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ahab and Jezebel tossed the true God aside in favor of gods who gave them power, pleasure, and riches. They replaced righteousness and justice with greed, cruelty, and murder. They were so consumed with lust that they couldn’t see the truth, even when it was staring them in the face.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Those of us who are not royalty, however, will find it just as easy to abandon or replace God, particularly when the way of trust and obedience does not bring you to a life of ease and security.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are few things as devastating as the death of a loved one. We prayed for every single saint we remember today that God would deliver them from death. And God may have spared these loved ones from death, for a time, but not permanently. Sometimes, we have prayed for God <i>not</i> to spare someone from death because they were suffering so much, and there was no possibility of recovery.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the wake of such disappointment and devastation, you will be tempted to give up on God and perhaps seek out other gods which you hope will give you what the real God did not. You might lose yourself in your work. You might turn to substances or other things to dull the pain. You might cut yourself off from the world and hide away in fear or shame.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When Elijah learns that Jezebel is determined to kill him, he suffers a total breakdown. He actually prays for God to take his life, because he’d lost the will to live. The only other person from the bible who reaches this level of agony was Jesus Christ. But God didn’t abandon Jesus, and God didn’t abandon Elijah. </span></p>
<p style="color: #b00004; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #b00004;">It was in that moment of agony when God’s power was strongest for Elijah and Jesus. </span>Not when God sent down fire from heaven, but when God gave Elijah the strength and the grace to keep going.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The challenge for you today is to hold onto faith so that you will see God’s salvation when God sees fit to bring it. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">God did not fail any of the loved ones we prayed for when they departed this life. Jesus Christ made death the gateway to their salvation. And God did not fail you when you prayed for them. God gave you the strength to endure your life’s worst trials, and God will never stop being good to you no matter what side of eternity you’re on. When there is death, there is resurrection. On earth, as it is in heaven.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sometimes, you just don’t know how good God is until God’s goodness is all you have. Faith is all about learning to see all of God’s wonders, both great and small, and remembering that if God doesn’t move mountains, God will get you over them. There is nothing you will face in this life that God cannot overcome. When there is no way, God will make away.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">God will do whatever it takes until you see with your eyes, take hold with your hands, and proclaim with your lips: “The Lord indeed is God; the Lord indeed is God.” </span></div>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0358 Main St, Leechburg, PA 15656, USA40.6263747 -79.601821812.316140863821154 -114.7580718 68.936608536178852 -44.445571799999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-27176552099533407152023-11-01T18:00:00.002-07:002023-12-21T09:29:39.208-08:00Bible Study Blog - Israel and Palestine: Understanding the Roots of the Conflict<p style="color: #255fa6; font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 6px;">What’s going on in Gaza?</p>
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<li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 3px;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Since 2005, Israel has maintained a blockade of the Gaza Strip, an entity that’s only six miles wide and thirteen miles long, yet home to nearly 2.5 million people.</li>
<li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 3px;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Hamas, a political and militant group, won democratic elections in 2006 to govern Gaza. Hamas seeks nothing less than the total eradication of the State of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic society within Palestine. </li>
<li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Much of Hamas’s funding come from Qatar, Turkey, and especially, Iran. Iran is Hamas’s chief patron, providing money, weapons, and military training.</li>
</ul><div><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lv1SpwwJEW8" width="320" youtube-src-id="lv1SpwwJEW8"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<p style="color: #255fa6; font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 6px;">What’s going on in the West Bank?</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 3px;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>In 1974, the <i>Gush Emunim</i> (Block of the Faithful) movement formed to <a href="https://youtu.be/E0uLbeQlwjw?si=LJ3_6QUI03ZDmT0f"><span style="color: #0b4cb4;">promote Jewish religious settlements on the West Bank</span></a>, believing that Jewish control of land was given by divine right, and that settlements improve the security of the Jewish people.</li>
<li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 3px;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>In the 1978 Camp David Accords, Israel pledges to expand Palestinian self-government in the West Bank and Gaza.</li>
<li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 3px;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Under the 1994 Oslo Accords, Israel withdraws from Jericho in the West Bank and Gaza, allowing Yasser Arafat to set up the Palestinian National Authority.</li>
<li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 3px;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>In June 2002, Israel constructs barriers in and around the West Bank following a series of Palestinian suicide bombings in March. </li>
<li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 3px;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>The 2003 Roadmap to Peace between the United States, European Union, Russia, and United Nations proposes an independent Palestinian state. Israel and Palestinian National Authority both accepted plan, which requires freeze on West Bank Jewish settlements and an end to attacks on Israelis. Right-wing Israeli government officials immediately rejected the plan, and the expansion of established settlements continues.</li>
<li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 3px;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>In February of 2017, Parliament passes a law which retroactively legalizes dozens of Jewish settlements built on private Palestinian land in the West Bank. Later in June, work begins on the first new Jewish settlement in the West Bank for 25 years.</li>
<li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 3px;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>In November 2019, the United States says it no longer considers Israeli settlements on the West Bank to be illegal.</li>
<li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 3px;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Under the 2020 Abraham Accords, signed by the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and the United States, Israel agrees to halt the construction of settlements in the West Bank. However, settlements continue to be constructed to this day.</li>
</ul><div><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E0uLbeQlwjw" width="320" youtube-src-id="E0uLbeQlwjw"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">For further reading:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29123668" target="_blank">BBC Timeline of the Israel-Palestine conflict</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/hamas-s-ideology-of-genocide/ar-AA1i0jaZ" target="_blank">Hamas's Ideology of Genocide</a> - The Atlantic</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/israels-war-against-hamas-is-a-battle-for-civilization/ar-AA1j5dCi" target="_blank">Israel’s war against Hamas is a battle for civilization</a> - Fox News</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lb3v8M8dzic" width="320" youtube-src-id="Lb3v8M8dzic"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035914480005155439.post-72587473961307642882023-10-22T04:00:00.009-07:002023-10-22T04:00:00.138-07:00Shepherds Wanted: 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 6:1-5 - 21st Sunday after Pentecost<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Amid the horrific war between the terrorist group Hamas and Israel, there has been a small but significant glimmer of hope: <a href="https://apple.news/A86iDRva-SNei2jvEQguyLQ"><span style="color: #0b4cb4;">Standing Together, a volunteer organization made up of Israelis and Palestinians, immediately mobilized to help victims of the violence</span></a>. Not long after the war broke out, 600 volunteers from Bedouin tribes began searching for missing Israelis who’d been taken hostage. In Tel Aviv, volunteers cooked meals for refugees. Elsewhere, they’ve provided first aid. They’ve opened their homes, they’ve cleaned up bomb shelters, they’ve given toys to children. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If there is going to be peace in the Middle East, it will take leaders like these to make it happen.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Unfortunately, these kinds of leaders rarely make the headlines, and they rarely win elections. Anymore, we don’t want our leaders to work with our political or Ideological rivals. We want leaders who fight and win, whatever it takes. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You would think King David was such a leader. After all, he was one of the most effective military commanders of the ancient world. But God anointed David to “<i>shepherd</i> his people.”</span></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-D3HMWeg91l48rfCHDDJQ8h6BRRGaF4b8VczM_kfvQXe4MF-WR8fm61N-7ur1-hOy5tHTZ1-w17b_1QKyVNlQfdFuz42CHEhlgqA2-o8Hb1t6WZPmrertt5C7kQymVj-aOpfpr-N6-jaB2-5y26FKMsxrbYNh_I41GXD9Zl9S_xLjGHsrphJEec_oy5u/s6720/han-mengqi--ZpViqKssAQ-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4480" data-original-width="6720" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-D3HMWeg91l48rfCHDDJQ8h6BRRGaF4b8VczM_kfvQXe4MF-WR8fm61N-7ur1-hOy5tHTZ1-w17b_1QKyVNlQfdFuz42CHEhlgqA2-o8Hb1t6WZPmrertt5C7kQymVj-aOpfpr-N6-jaB2-5y26FKMsxrbYNh_I41GXD9Zl9S_xLjGHsrphJEec_oy5u/s320/han-mengqi--ZpViqKssAQ-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p style="color: #0000e9; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@hanmengqi?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash"><span style="font-kerning: none;">HAN Mengqi</span></a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/man-in-brown-jacket-standing-on-green-grass-field-with-white-sheep-during-daytime--ZpViqKssAQ?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash"><span style="font-kerning: none;">Unsplash</span></a></span></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In other words, David was not going to rule with the sword of a warrior. He would rule with the rod and the staff of a shepherd. Israel needed a shepherd because their nation was in turmoil. They endured centuries of chaos, confusion, and war during the era of the judges. Then, they begged God for a king, and God gave them one.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Saul was everything they could want in a king: he was enormous in stature, he came from a good family, and he was successful on the battlefield. But he was also arrogant, compulsive, and paranoid. Saul’s undoing began when David the shepherd boy slayed the giant Goliath and became an overnight sensation. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Soon, David proved to be a more effective military commander (and politician) than Saul. David’s popularity drives Saul insane with jealousy; so much so that he tries <i>and fails</i> to kill David. Saul eventually dies in battle, and though David had proven worthy of becoming king, there were plenty of powerful people who did not want to see him on the throne. Seven bloody years would pass before David’s kingship was firmly established.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i></i><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But David, unlike most politicians, didn’t treat his power as a prize. For David, the kingship was a sacred trust. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Even though the Scriptures speak of David as the ideal king, he was no saint. His pride and power would get to his head, and he committed theft, adultery, and murder. But he had the courage and humility to own up to his failures, and he never forgot that God was God, and he was not. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We are living in a time when there is a desperate need for leaders who embody the courage and the character of people like David. That’s not to say there aren’t good leaders out there. There are, and thankfully, many hold positions of power and influence. But nothing will change without courageous, virtuous leadership.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Consider the task of leadership from a shepherd’s perspective. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">People can be even more challenging to lead than sheep because we’re stubborn. We’re easily led astray. We get scared easily, but we’re also compulsive and careless. Leadership demands the kind of patience that only God can provide. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Leadership demands courage because there are wolves out there threatening to devour the sheep. We’re living in a time when trust in persons of authority is low and divisions are intense, meaning that if you’re going to lead, you are going to be attacked. You need to be brave not only in defending the sheep but standing up for righteousness.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Leadership demands perseverance. There is so much chaos and death that you can easily become convinced that there is no hope. Make no mistake: despair is deadly. Evil wins when good people do nothing.</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We cannot surrender our children’s future to the chaos, division, and fear of the present. We cannot allow a changing world to drive our congregation into irrelevancy. Even though it’s hard, we cannot give up on being church together, serving neighbors in need and proclaiming the love of Jesus. </span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">God anointed David to lead a nation that would be a light to all the nations by its obedience to the covenant. We are the Body of Christ for the same reason. We are church together so that God can love the world through us. You may not have the title of leader or even think of yourself as a leader, but you are. By serving, you lead people to Christ! You are a shepherd of the Good Shepherd! God’s sheep are hungry! If you don’t feed them, if you don’t seek them, if you don’t teach them, if you don’t love them, who will?</span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It all comes down to three important questions:</span></p>
<ol>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you believe that the Spirit of Christ lives in you?</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you believe God’s love is the greatest power at work in the world?</span></li>
<li style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you believe that you have the gifts, and our church has the gifts to radically transform lives and heal our broken world? </span></li>
</ol>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dare to believe it—and you will lead people out of pain to healing; out of despair to hope; out of Isolation to belonging. Come to the clothing closet on Saturday and see for yourself. Call up a neighbor or a church member you haven’t seen in a while and let them know you care. Pray with someone. Share your faith in Jesus. Look for the good God is doing in the world be a part of the hope. Be the leader God has anointed you to be.</span></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Look, we are your bone and flesh. <span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 8px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"><sup>2 </sup></span>For some time, while Saul was king over us, it was you who led out Israel and brought it in. The Lord said to you, ‘It is you who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you who shall be ruler over Israel.’ ” <span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 8px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"><sup>3 </sup></span>So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. <span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 8px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"><sup>4 </sup></span>David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. <span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 8px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"><sup>5 </sup></span>At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>6 </b>David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. <span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 8px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"><sup>2 </sup></span>David and all the people with him set out and went from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who is enthroned on the cherubim. <span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 8px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"><sup>3 </sup></span>They carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart <span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 8px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"><sup>4 </sup></span>with the ark of God, and Ahio went in front of the ark. <span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 8px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"><sup>5 </sup></span>David and all the house of Israel were dancing before the Lord with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. (NRSVue)</p></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"> </div>Pastor Jim Arterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11647347449022433321noreply@blogger.com0Leechburg, PA 15656, USA40.62701 -79.605601212.316776163821153 -114.7618512 68.937243836178851 -44.449351199999995