pancakes and power

Good afternoon friends,

First, a reminder that tonight from 6-7:30 Laurelton is going to get ready for Lent with a Fat Tuesday Pancake supper. We'll serve pancakes, sausage, decaf coffee and juice, so bring your appetite and enjoy a chance to visit with neighbors. The event is free, but you're certainly welcome to make a free will offering.

Our reading for today continues the letter to the church at Ephesus. The passage reminds us that God put all God's power to work in Christ. That sounds basic on the surface, but it's pretty amazing when we remember that Christ died for us. That's a reminder that God thinks about power differently than we do. Now the power of Christ is working through the church, through each of us. So how can we follow our calling and live for God's glory today?

God bless,
Sam

Ephesians 1:11-23

¹¹In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, ¹²so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. ¹³In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; ¹⁴this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

¹⁵I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason ¹⁶I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. ¹⁷I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, ¹⁸so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,¹⁹and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. 

²⁰God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. ²²And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, ²³which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Be still and know

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Today's Psalm is a favorite of mine for facing change, and aging is a change. No matter what happens, we can trust God to be with us and to guide us. Whether we listen to that guidance is up to us.

God bless,
Sam

Psalm 46:1-11

¹God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

²Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, 

though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;

³though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah

⁴There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, 

the holy habitation of the Most High.

⁵God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; 

God will help it when the morning dawns.

⁶The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.

⁷The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

⁸Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth.

⁹He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; 

he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.

¹⁰“Be still, and know that I am God! 

I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.”

¹¹The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

part II

Good morning brothers and sisters,
This morning I'm going to Irondequoit Presbyterian Church to learn about a small group program called Alpha that introduces some of the main ideas of the Christian faith for discussion. I think it might be a good fit for Laurelton, so I'm going to learn more. If anyone else would like to join me, the program starts at 9:30 this morning and includes breakfast.


After Jesus rose from the dead he spent some time with his disciples, getting them ready for what would happen next. Then he rose into heaven. Those events form the end of the Gospels and the beginning of Acts, which is the story of God working through the church. Acts is a wonderful book to read when you are in a time of church renewal, like we are at Laurelton. As we pursue a new beginning, it's good to go back to the churches beginning. Acts is part two of Luke's Gospel, which you see in the introduction here. The writer begins by addressing Theophilus (which means lover of God) and relating the story he is about to tell to the one his reader has just finished reading. Notice Jesus instruction to the disciples: wait in Jerusalem for God's power. That's how the church begins, by waiting in prayer.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 1:1-11

In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning ²until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. ³After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over the course of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. ⁴While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. ‘This’, he said, ‘is what you have heard from me; ⁵for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ ⁷He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ ⁹When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. ¹⁰While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. ¹¹They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’

royal dreams

Good morning friends,
In Saturday's reading the King ordered all his wisemen to tell him what he had dreamed and to interpret it. When they told him his request was impossible, he ordered them all to be killed. When Daniel finds out about this decree, which includes his friends and him, he asks for time from the king's officials and asks Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to pray for him. Then he prays to God for wisdom and to know the dream. It won't surprise us that God comes through for Daniel.

Blessings on your week,
Sam


Daniel 2:13-19, 24-30

¹³The decree was issued, and the wise men were about to be executed; and they looked for Daniel and his companions, to execute them. ¹⁴Then Daniel responded with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the king’s chief executioner, who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon; ¹⁵he asked Arioch, the royal official, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. ¹⁶So Daniel went in and requested that the king give him time and he would tell the king the interpretation. ¹⁷Then Daniel went to his home and informed his companions, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, ¹⁸and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions with the rest of the wise men of Babylon might not perish. ¹⁹Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

²⁴Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will give the king the interpretation.” ²⁵Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king and said to him: “I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who can tell the king the interpretation.” ²⁶The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to tell me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?”

²⁷Daniel answered the king, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or diviners can show to the king the mystery that the king is asking, ²⁸but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has disclosed to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen at the end of days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed were these: ²⁹To you, O king, as you lay in bed, came thoughts of what would be hereafter, and the revealer of mysteries disclosed to you what is to be. ³⁰But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me because of any wisdom that I have more than any other living being, but in order that the interpretation may be known to the king and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.

praise and power

Good evening friends,
Maggie and I are safely back in Rochester after a lovely few days with my family and an easy flight home. As we get ready for New Year's and continue to celebrate Christmas, we think about the limits of human power and God's wonderful love for the powerless. This Psalm reminds us of these things and encourages us to trust God while we give him praise.
Blessings on your evening,
Sam

Psalm 146

¹Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!

²I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

³Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.

⁴When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.

⁵Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God,

⁶who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;

⁷who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free; ⁸the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.

⁹The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow,

but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

¹⁰The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord!

Hannah's song

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Today's passage echoes Mary's song of praise that we read yesterday, but comes from the Old Testament. Hannah was one of two women married to Elkanah. Hannah wasn't able to have children, but the other wife, Penninah was. Penninah made fun of Hannah for not having children and Hannah became distraught. One year when the family went to God's sanctuary in Shiloh to offer sacrifices, Hannah went to the sanctuary to pray for a son. She was so devoted and upset in her prayer that Eli, the priest thought she was drunk. She promised that if she had a son he would be devoted to the Lord. Sure enough, Hannah conceived and sings this song of praise to God when she dedicates him to God's service at the sanctuary. The son grew up to be the famous prophet Samuel who anointed both Saul and David as the first kings of Israel. Like Mary's song, Hannah's is a powerful statement about God's tendency to turn things upside down.

God bless,
Sam

1 Samuel 2:1-10

Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in my God. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in my victory. ²“There is no Holy One like the Lord, no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. ³Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. ⁴The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble gird on strength. ⁵Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry are fat with spoil. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.

⁶The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. ⁷The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, he also exalts. ⁸He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and on them he has set the world. ⁹“He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness; for not by might does one prevail. ¹⁰The Lord! His adversaries shall be shattered; the Most High will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king, and exalt the power of his anointed.”

Deborah and Barak

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Deborah, the judge of Israel, encouraged Barak to lead the army of Israel against the the Canaanite King Jabin and his general, Sisera. Today we see that Barak agrees to go, but only if Deborah goes with him. Deborah seems disappointed in this response, maybe because Barak doesn't show enough trust in God. As we'll see, God does fight for Israel to save them. There are lots of place names here that can throw us off; some Bibles have maps in them, but in this case you can also just ignore them without missing too much. My suspicion is that some of these places won't even be on most maps of the Bible. Just enjoy the story as it unfolds. For those of us who are used to a more peaceful ethic, these violent passages can be challenging. I'm grateful that Jesus is the Prince of Peace, but also grateful that God can save the weak from more powerful enemies.

God bless,
Sam

Joshua 4:8-16

⁸Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” ⁹And she said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh.

¹⁰Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and ten thousand warriors went up behind him; and Deborah went up with him. ¹¹Now Heber the Kenite had separated from the other Kenites, that is, the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had encamped as far away as Elon-bezaanannim, which is near Kedesh. ¹²When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, ¹³Sisera called out all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the troops who were with him, from Harosheth-ha-goiim to the Wadi Kishon.

¹⁴Then Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day on which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. The Lord is indeed going out before you.” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand warriors following him. ¹⁵And the Lord threw Sisera and all his chariots and all his army into a panic before Barak; Sisera got down from his chariot and fled away on foot, ¹⁶while Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth-ha-goiim. All the army of Sisera fell by the sword; no one was left.

Crossing the Jordan

Good morning friends,
We skip ahead a little bit for today's reading. The spies have returned with the news that God has made the people of the land afraid of the Israelites. Now the Israelites prepare to cross over into the land God is giving them. God shows the way by dividing the Jordan River like God divided the Red Sea. God proves to the people that God is with Joshua and with Israel as they begin this next stage of their life.
Blessings,
Sam

Joshua 3:7-17

⁷The LORD said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you as I was with Moses.⁸You are the one who shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’”⁹Joshua then said to the Israelites, “Draw near and hear the words of the LORD your God.” ¹⁰Joshua said, “By this you shall know that among you is the living God who without fail will drive out from before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites: ¹¹the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is going to pass before you into the Jordan. ¹²So now select twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. ¹³When the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan flowing from above shall be cut off; they shall stand in a single heap.”

¹⁴When the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, the priests bearing the ark of the covenant were in front of the people. ¹⁵Now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest. So when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the edge of the water, ¹⁶the waters flowing from above stood still, rising up in a single heap far off at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, while those flowing toward the sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people crossed over opposite Jericho. ¹⁷While all Israel were crossing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, until the entire nation finished crossing over the Jordan.

crucified Lord

Good morning/evening friends,
This reading is a break from First Peter. We go back here to Peter's sermon at Pentecost to the assembled Jewish crowd after the disciples began speaking in tongues. Peter explains who Jesus is from scripture and shares how Jesus' life played out in their time. What does it mean for us that Jesus is Lord?
Blessings on your day,
Sam

Acts 2:32-36

32This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses. 33Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear. 34For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, 35until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ 36Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

weakness and power

Good morning friends,
In our reading this morning Paul points out that his focus was never on his power, but on God's power and Christ's cross. Worldly cleverness rarely reveals God's mysteries, instead we find God in humility and service. Paul also says that there is a wisdom appropriate for mature Christians, but it's different than the wisdom the world values. Jesus may have the same idea in mind when he tells his disciples that the one who wants to be great should serve everyone else. In service and love we see God.

Blessings on your new week,
Sam


1 Corinthians 2:1-7

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. 2For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. 4My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.


6Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. 7But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.

Not ashamed of the gospel

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Here Paul turns the corner from greeting to substance. This first line, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of salvation for everyone who has faith..." is a core statement for anyone who's interested in evangelism. Paul's argument in this passage is that through creation everyone can see something about God's power. Through creation we see God's creativeness and we even see something about God's love because of the seeds of love planted in each of us. Because we can all see these things, we are all called to worship God. Instead of this, many people in history have turned to idols, worshiping created things instead of the creator.

The overall theme of the first two chapters of Romans is that we all should know God but we all fall short. In this section Paul shares a bit about how gentiles should know God from creation but turn to idols instead. In the next section he will discuss how the Jewish people, who come to know God through a special revelation and relationship also fall short. At the end of these two chapters, Paul has made a case that we all should know God, but we all turn away. By making our sin and error clear, Paul gets his audience ready to hear God's cure for this situation. That cure is the gospel, the good news of God's amazing grace in Jesus Christ. No wonder Paul is not ashamed of the gospel. I hope we grow stronger each day in our ability to say the same.

God bless,
Sam


Romans 1:16-23

16For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “The one who is righteous will live by faith.” 18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth.


19For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; 21for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. 22Claiming to be wise, they became fools; 23and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.

The Lord watches over strangers

Good morning friends,
Today's reading fits with Sunday's readings from Isaiah and John about God healing those in trouble. The psalmist praises God for the wonders of creation and for healing the sick and lifting up the oppressed. Scripture consistently teaches that God has a special heart for the poor and those oppressed by stronger people. Since God is that way, the church that follows God should also always keep a special watch out for those who are in trouble. Sometimes we do well, other times we reproduce the world's social hierarchy inside the church to our shame. How might God be calling you to strengthen the oppressed today?

God bless,
Sam

Psalm 146:5-10

5Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD their God,
6who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
7who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free;
8the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous.
9The LORD watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10The LORD will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the LORD!

the great physician

Good morning friends,
Today's reading is one of the most challenging readings in scripture for me. In preaching this passage recently the image that came to mind was Jesus as the great physician. He looks at the man and knows what it is that's separating him from God, so he prescribes the cure. The man has a hard time swallowing the pill, which leads Jesus to say that wealth is one of the hardest sicknesses to cure: "It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God!" The good news is that God can make a way where there is no way.
God bless,
Sam


Luke 18:18-30

18A certain ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 20You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother.’” 21He replied, “I have kept all these since my youth.” 22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “There is still one thing lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 23But when he heard this, he became sad; for he was very rich.

24Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27He replied, “What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.” 28Then Peter said, “Look, we have left our homes and followed you.” 29And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30who will not get back very much more in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”

prayer and grace

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Today's reading concludes the Letter to the Hebrews with some comforting words and with greetings for the community. The author mentions Timothy, which led to a tradition that this letter comes from Paul. Most scholars don't think this is the case, and even in the second century there were teachers who admitted that they didn't know who had written this letter. That makes it hard to understand the context for it, but the letter reveals enough that we can understand what it said to its first readers and what it has to say to us today.

I love how the author encourages the readers to pray for him so that he will be able to accomplish God's calling for him. The prayers of the community are powerful. Sometimes we think religious leaders are the ones who are supposed to pray, and certainly we are supposed to pray, but the calling to pray is universal. I've heard it said, "If you want a better pastor, pray for the one you have." That's sort of what this leader is saying. Those in leadership need the prayers of the community for their leadership and ministry to be effective. For any ministry to succeed prayer is important. Prayer can do surprising things because we serve a surprising God. The author reminds us that God brought Jesus back from the dead to be our great shepherd and to bring us into the new covenant. God can raise the dead and God can give us power in our ministry today.

God bless,
Sam

PS: As we're talking about prayer I would encourage you to keep our Muslim brothers and sisters in prayer as they observe Ramadan this month (started August 11). This is a challenging time of year to fast all day, but that is what many of them are doing. Pray that God would give them strength in and through their fasting and that the time to reflect on the Qur'an would bring each of them closer to God.

Hebrews 13:18-25
18Pray for us; we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. 19I urge you all the more to do this, so that I may be restored to you very soon. 20Now may the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21make you complete in everything good so that you may do his will, working among us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 22I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. 23I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been set free; and if he comes in time, he will be with me when I see you. 24Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy send you greetings. 25Grace be with all of you.

prayer and God's fullness

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Today's first reading shows Paul continuing his argument for the Colossians. While he talks about circumcision in the second paragraph, teachers pushing the Jewish law on Christians isn't Paul's main concern in Colossae. Instead, it seems people in Colossae were tempted by a focus on angels, planets and heavenly powers. Paul's argument is that Christ is unique, having the whole fullness of God in a human body. In Christ, not in other heavenly powers, we find forgiveness, freedom and new life.

Our passage from Luke shows Jesus teaching the disciples how to pray, a lesson we are always in need of. We learn to pray by seeking God's guidance and spending time listening to God. This prayer is an excellent example of how prayer should be, and Jesus' encouragement to ask, search and knock remind us that God always wants to hear from us.

Blessings,
Sam


Colossians 2:6-15
6As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. 9For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority.

11In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision, by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; 12when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, 14erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. 15He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.

* Luke 11:1-13
1He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." 2He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. 3Give us each day our daily bread. 4And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial."

5And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.' 7And he answers from within, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.' 8I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

9"So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? 12Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? 13If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

the prophet's threat

Good morning all,
Today we finish our reading of the story of Naboth's vineyard. Ahab gets the news about Naboth's death and goes to take possession of the vineyard. There Elijah meets him and proclaims God's judgment against him. Notice that Elijah not only tells Ahab what God said, he even speaks for God using first person ("I will bring disaster on you.") It's interesting too that Ahab calls Elijah his enemy but doesn't try to kill him. It seems that Ahab, despite turning away from God, still respects Elijah because he is obviously God's prophet.

We leave this story here, but the real conclusion is a bit further in 1 and 2 Kings. A few chapters later Ahab is killed in battle and the dogs indeed lick up his blood. Not too long after that a new king of Israel will kill Jezebel and the rest of Ahab's family and the dogs eat Jezebel's body. Even the most powerful human being is ultimately powerless against God. People can oppress others and hurt them, but all human power comes to an end and in the end God alone rules creation. That truth gave strength to the early Christian martyrs and to all the faithful who stand up against injustice to witness to God's love for all people. May we always put our trust in God.

God bless,
Sam

1 Kings 21:15-26
15As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Go, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.” 16As soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab set out to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
17Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying: 18Go down to meet King Ahab of Israel, who rules in Samaria; he is now in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession. 19You shall say to him, “Thus says the Lord: Have you killed, and also taken possession?” You shall say to him, “Thus says the Lord: In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, dogs will also lick up your blood.”

20Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you. Because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, 21I will bring disaster on you; I will consume you, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel; 22and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin. 23Also concerning Jezebel the Lord said, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the bounds of Jezreel.’ 24Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat; and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the air shall eat.” 25(Indeed, there was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord, urged on by his wife Jezebel. 26He acted most abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the Lord drove out before the Israelites.)