Sunday of the Flood (Fri: GA)

Matthew 24:36-51

³⁶ “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. ³⁷ For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, ³⁹ and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. ⁴² Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. ⁴³ But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 

⁴⁵ “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶ Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. ⁴⁷ Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. ⁴⁸ But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ ⁴⁹ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, ⁵⁰ the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know ⁵¹ and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

How quickly will judgment come? What will people be doing on the day of Judgment? Here what Jesus says, "For as in those days before the flood." The key phrase that needs to be used to understand the rest of this section. Yes everything comes in its proper time, when Noah was 600 years old. The Master commands Noah to enter the ark with his family and animals, and he is not delayed any longer. Yet, people are still going about their daily activities when the great deep burst forth and heavens are opened.

"For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." If you want to know about judgment day, re-read Genesis 6-9. Jesus gives us a simple picture of people being caught off guard. Just as many other times when he describes the Kingdom of Heaven coming, it is a shock to people and they need to be prepared.

The one glimmer of hope for us who are easily distracted and who easily do not take note of the overall story, "Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one remain." When the judgment day comes, you will remain in Jesus Christ. Christ will keep his people, and rescue them from being swept away in a flood or the condemnation of the World. Christ has provide you with salvation through faith alone by grace alone.

Sunday of the Flood (Thurs: NTA)

1 Peter 3:8-22

⁸ Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. ⁹ Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. ¹⁰ For 

“Whoever desires to love life 

and see good days, 

let him keep his tongue from evil 

and his lips from speaking deceit; 

¹¹  let him turn away from evil and do good; 

let him seek peace and pursue it. 

¹²  For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, 

and his ears are open to their prayer. 

But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 

¹³ Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? ¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, ¹⁵ but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, ¹⁶ having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. ¹⁷ For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. 

¹⁸ For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, ¹⁹ in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, ²⁰ because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. ²¹ Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. 

God has washed you in the waters of Baptism. He has claimed you to be his very own child. He has rescued you from the devils Kingdom. He has done all this so that you would lead a holy life. God desires you to love your life. Christ desires you to act and speak deceitly. The Holy Spirit continues to work in you to strengthen you for good works. It is our duty to serve our Father in righteousness.

We are sinful human beings. We desire our own way or the highway. We want God to make everything our way. We want to choose what to love and who to root for, and likewise to revile the other side. We don't want to suffer or put ourselves out there. We want to follow our own path.

But you were formerly these things. Christ has come! He came to redeem you and set you free from who you once were. And if you are not willing to listen to Christ, you will end up in the same place as those who did not listen to Noah. God waited patiently as Noah built the ark for people to repent. God waited patiently for Egypt to Love and care for his people. God waits patiently for you. But Judgment Day is coming.

God has sent you a savior. He has sent you a counselor to call you to repentance. He has even provided you the way of salvation. Like the Israelites walked through the Waters of the Red Sea, Noah and his family were brought through the water in an ark, you have been raised out of the waters of Baptism. You have been granted a new life in Christ Jesus.

Sunday of the Flood (Wed: G)

Matthew 8:28-34

²⁸ And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. ²⁹ And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” ³⁰ Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. ³¹ And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” ³² And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. ³³ The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. ³⁴ And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region. 

The unclean pigs and the demons were drowned in the waters. They were killed, which brings shock and awe from those who stand by and watch. But when you know the entire story, is it really that shocking? Jesus finds two men who are in need of his help. They are suffering from demon-possession. Jesus heals them and releaves them from their oppression.

This seems like another healing and another time in Jesus Ministry where he rescues someone and everyone gets mad about it. But likewise people get mad at God when they think of the Flood in Noah's day, or other natural disasters. God sent forth a flood to destroy the wickedness of humanity, and the fallen creation. You can argue God sends natural disasters in judgment against humanity, and our continued desire to sin. But this is not to say those who died then are any greater sinners than we. But the bigs die to remind us of the judgment of God. The world was flooded so that we would recall our need for repentance. 

But which scares the people more, the power too kill a herd of pigs by water, or the power to cast out demons? I think what scares the people is the fact that these two demon-possessed men who have been hanging around these tombs are able to be saved. Often times it is not our sins that scare us most but the power of someone who would be able to forgive, redeem, and cleanse us from our sins.

Quote from Coach Carter:

Timo Cruz: Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Sunday of the Flood (Tues: NT)

1 John 2:1-14

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ² He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. ³ And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. ⁴ Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, ⁵ but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: ⁶ whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. 

⁷ Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. ⁸ At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. ⁹ Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. ¹⁰ Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. ¹¹ But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 

¹²  I am writing to you, little children, 

because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. 

¹³  I am writing to you, fathers, 

because you know him who is from the beginning. 

I am writing to you, young men, 

because you have overcome the evil one. 

I write to you, children, 

because you know the Father. 

¹⁴  I write to you, fathers, 

because you know him who is from the beginning. 

I write to you, young men, 

because you are strong, 

and the word of God abides in you, 

and you have overcome the evil one. 

You have to love the way John presents this Chapter. He gives you a patern following from Chapter one. He points out how we are liars when we deny our sinfulness, and that we have Jesus Christ who is our advocate and savior. Then he talks how this creates a new commandment for us, you are either light or darkness and it will be revealed in your hatred of your brother.

But then you get this great refrain to Children, Fathers, and young men. After remind us all how lost we are both as children in darkness and sinful liars in need of a savior. John reminds us that we have forgiveness and have already overcome the evil one. You may wonder how or why this has happened. It is because you know the Father who sent his only begotten son, who is from the beginning, and has made you strong through his Word which abides in you. 

When you read these verses slowly or separate from their context they may become very difficult to understand. But when you read them with context and with expectation of what is coming next, you see the beauty of St John's words. You also see the beauty with which he starts Chapter 2, if you find yourself caught in sin, You have an advocate and savior Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the righteous one who has forgiven you and redeemed you and has overcome the evil one for you.

Sunday of the Flood (Mon: CL)

Genesis 7

Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. ² Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate, ³ and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth. ⁴ For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.” ⁵ And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him. 

⁶ Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. ⁷ And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. ⁸ Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, ⁹ two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah. ¹⁰ And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth. 

¹¹ In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. ¹² And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. ¹³ On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, ¹⁴ they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature. ¹⁵ They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. ¹⁶ And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the Lord shut him in. 

¹⁷ The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. ¹⁸ The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. ¹⁹ And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. ²⁰ The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. ²¹ And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. ²² Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. ²³ He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark. ²⁴ And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days. 

Those that the LORD will blot out and those the LORD will save. The Flood Narrative has been used in many ways in order to describe the Church and God's people throughout scripture. Likewise, this Judgment relates to the final judgment. Noah and his Family have been conveyed as being connected to the people of God, or Israel. But the LORD desires for all people to come to salvation, and for all people to be saved.

The LORD promised never to destroy the people of the earth in the same way again. But he also reveals to us in his various other disasters his desire not to bring this harsh judgment upon the people. If they would have relented and turned, they would have been saved. In Chapter 7, it is very much about God's desire to save the clean and righteous. There are seven pairs of the clean animals, while only two of every unclean animal. Eight believers were saved not just the necessary two in order to restart the species.

God shows his love for his creation as he rescues animals from every kind, not just clean. This is not the story about the Dinosaurs being left behind because they were too large for the ark. This is not the unicorn being left behind because they were laughing and playing. This is about God desiring for all his creation too be saved.

So we should learn God compassion for his creation. He has a desire that we would turn from our wickedness, and look to him for his solitary way of salvation. There is only one ark, and there is only one church, as there is only one Jesus Christ. It is through Christ that we are saved. It is in Christ's resurrection all of creation sees the first fruits of the new creation.

Sunday of Creation (Fri: GA)

Matthew 15:32-39

³² Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” ³³ And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” ³⁴ And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” ³⁵ And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, ³⁶ he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ³⁷ And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. ³⁸ Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. ³⁹ And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan. 

As a single Pastor of two small rural congregations, it is hard to go on a diet. That may seeem like a strange way to start, but think of the church potlucks you have. Think of the food that is leftover at the end. I don't think I have ever been to a church potluck or food event where there were not leftovers. Sure we have ran out of many things, but there was still something for them to try to send home with the pastor. (Most of the time it is deserts!)

I am not suggesting in the least like some others that seven loaves and a few fish could feed all those people and they would still have leftovers. But I want you to think about how many times you leave a potluck or church feeding event and have not felt like you ate too much. Jesus truly did a miracle, but I think that none of us really trust that he could do a miracle like that again.

Put your church potluck on a diet. First of all don't bring extra carbs. If it is not mostly vegetables you should not call it a salad, but bring salads. Bring meats that are not covered with carbs, meat fats are okay just not the extra stuff. If you have potatoes you don't need corn and stuffing, they are all starches. And don't feel like you need to feed everyone, because nobody else is going to bring enough. Lastly, sometimes five vegetable trays at a potluck is just fine (depending upon how much dip you have).

But this is all to say that we should place just a little more trust in the LORD to say there is enough food. Again, I don't expect a miracle every time you have a church picnic, but why not expect one when it is really needed. God has provided you for you. He has taken care of his people in the past. He has had mercy on you. And we will continue to have compassion on you for all the bad choices you have made in your life. He will continue to forgive you and claim you to be a sheep of his flock. So thanks be to God that he provides us with leftovers, and sends extra food home with people of the congregation.

Sunday of Creation (Thurs: NTA)

1 Corinthians 15:42-49

⁴² So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. ⁴³ It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. ⁴⁴ It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶ But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. ⁴⁷ The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. ⁴⁸ As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. ⁴⁹ Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. 

Key term for this text is what does it mean to have a spiritual body? Many people think the term spiritual body is like a ghostly body. This idea that you have some none physical form that is able to dwell in heaven. So we bury the natural body and the spiritual body lives with God in heaven forever.

Wrong! The natural body is the physical body you were conceived with. The spiritual body is the new physical body, which is filled with the Holy Spirit. It is better understood as a spirit-filled body. You can even see this as St Paul talks about the first Adam and the last Adam. The Last Adam became a life-giving spirit. Yet, the last Adam, Jesus Christ, was still physical as his resurrection appearances confirm.

Likewise, the natural body and spiritual body are connected to a man of dust and man from heaven. The man from the dust returns to the dust, but the man from heaven provides everlasting life. So Seth was born in the image of his father Adam, but we are given new birth in the image of our LORD Jesus Christ. This is the image that is restored to us, since it was lost in the fall.

The spiritual body is the physically resurrected body, which has been filled with the Holy Spirit and conforms to the image of the risen Christ. So we die with the Old Adam and rise with the last Adam, namely Jesus Christ. Here we see the restoration of God's creation, and the image of God in which he created humanity.

Sunday of Creation (Wed: G)

Matthew 12:1-14

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. ² But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” ³ He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: ⁴ how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? ⁵ Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? ⁶ I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. ⁷ And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. ⁸ For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” 

⁹ He went on from there and entered their synagogue. ¹⁰ And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. ¹¹ He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? ¹² Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” ¹³ Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. ¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. 

You can make the direct connection about what is lawful to do on the Sabbath, and what we can do with Christ. But I think there is an interesting underlining theme in this passage. It is how we take care of plants and animals. We look at the heads of grain, and forget what they were created to provide. They grow and yeild their grain, so that it can provide food or bread to the eater. 

Likewise, the purpose of the sheep is not just to live and die. If the only reason for sheep was to consume our time with caring for it from lamb to death, why would you care that it fell into a pit. The sheep have a purpose given to them to provide wool and also to provide meat for your table or for your sacrifice.

The main theme is do not let the Sabbath prevent you from taking care of your fellow man. But likewise don't let the Sabbath prevent you from taking care of God's glorious creation. God blessed the Sabbath day because he was finished with all his work in creation. Maybe we need to spend a little more time during the week to make sure we take care of his creation around us, and we will be finished by the weekend.

The Sabbath was a stubbling block for the Jews then and is a stubbling block for many Christians today. They forget the Sabbath day was blessed because God had finished all his created work in six days. Thus, God rested and set it aside for man and beast to rest. He provides us with a day to sit, kneel, and pray to the Lord of the Sabbath, for forgiveness of all our short comings. It is a day for us to focus on the world around us, and the LORD and giver of Life.

Sunday of Creation (Tues: NT)

1 John 1:1-10

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— ² the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— ³ that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 

⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 

What does it mean to be a witness? Most of the time we are called like John to bear witness to what our eyes have seen or maybe we have even touched or heard. But What does it mean for us to be a witness to Creation? I think this has two different parts. One has to do with us confessing our sinful behavior and the forgiveness of Jesus Christ with all of Creation. Two has to deal with the fact that we need to allow God to speak rather than man.

The first is being a witness to all of creation. Sometimes it is easy for us to think of the sins we commit against our neighbor. We can think of the times we have stolen from our neighbor, thought ill of our neighbor. But how many times have you done the same to God's creation? Maybe your thoughts like mine immediately drift to some idea of hunting is bad, but that is protecting nature and using the gifts God has given to us. I am thinking about killing animals for no reason other than personal pleasure. I am thinking about tearing up a forest to build a parking lot. Or even destroying a habitate just for personal wealth or gain. There is a fine line to walk when it comes to protecting and caring for the creation that we have been given stewardship over.

Second, is reminding ourselves that God has given us stewardship. We can bear witness about those who sin against us. But can an animal or plant bear witness about the sins you commit against them. God bears witness on behalf of creation. He talks about the mountains, trees, animals, and so forth singing his praise. St Paul likewise talks about all of creation groaning. We need to listen to God, who calls each of us a sinner. And if we don't listen to him, we make him to be a liar.

God's word clearly declares that you are a sinful human being. It also clearly declares the God created the heavens and the earth, not by chance, for us to protect and care for. And finally God sent his word to become flesh, so St John could hear, see, and touch him before he died on the cross and after he rose again from the dead for your forgiveness.

Sunday of Creation (Mon: OTA)

Isaiah 2:1-5

The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 

²  It shall come to pass in the latter days 

that the mountain of the house of the Lord 

shall be established as the highest of the mountains, 

and shall be lifted up above the hills; 

and all the nations shall flow to it, 

³  and many peoples shall come, and say: 

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

to the house of the God of Jacob, 

that he may teach us his ways 

and that we may walk in his paths.” 

For out of Zion shall go the law, 

and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 

⁴  He shall judge between the nations, 

and shall decide disputes for many peoples; 

and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, 

and their spears into pruning hooks; 

nation shall not lift up sword against nation, 

neither shall they learn war anymore. 

⁵  O house of Jacob, 

come, let us walk 

in the light of the Lord. 

In the final days before Christ returns you have a picture of God gathering his people. He has them flow like a river up a mountain where there is peace and rest for this nation. This can remind us of a return to Eden. Eden had rivers flowing out to the rest of creation. Eden was the perfect place of rest for God's people. Eden was the place where God walked with his children.

But now Eden is no more. The world is filled with war, and trouble. Isaiah's main struggle for God's people is the fight they face with other nations. It is not the fight we general think of with the Law of God or God himself. This battle is a physical war that is being waged across the entire world. And so we can look at Israel being consumed by Babylon and Assyria. Israel has enemies on all sides ready to conqueror, there have been very few years in their history to find rest. 

We can also look at the world of today.  World War I was supposed to be the War to end all wars. But the world has constantly been at War since. Nations fighting across the sea and in distant lands. Like one person said, it is hard to identify the difference between wartime and peacetime anymore.

This is the final gift that God will give when Christ returns. He will bring his people together. He will gather them in houses built for peace. He will instruct them in his word. He will show them what true peace really is, and how it is found in Christ Jesus his son. Then later in Isaiah chapter 2 he has these people flow out from this place and spread the Torah of God. It is Christ who brings us forgiveness and sends us out into the world to shine that light to all nations.

Sunday of the Flood

September 13th

CL: Genesis 7:1-24

OTA: Genesis 7:1-5, 16-24

NT: 1 John 2:1-14

NTA: 1 Pete 3:8-22

G: Matthew 8:28-34

GA: Matthew 24:36-51

Ps: Psalm 104:1-15

Collect of the Day:

O God, the one who mercifully saved Noah and his family, as He judged the rest of the World through Water, bless your children by bringing us through Water into Life; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Theme for the Week          the Flood

Verse of the Week:            Genesis 7:17

Daily Bible Reading List:

Mon: Genesis 7:1-24          Tues: 1 John 2:1-14            Wed: Matthew 8:28-34

Thurs:            1 Peter 3:8-22          Fri: Matthew 24:36-51

Catechism Reading:

Fourth

What does such baptizing with water indicate?

It indicates that the Old Adam in us

should by daily contrition and repentance

be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires,

and that a new man should daily emerge and arise

to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.

Where is this written?

 St. Paul writes in Romans chapter six:

"We were therefore buried with Him

through baptism into death

in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead

through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life" (Romans 6:4).

Sunday of Creation

September 6th

CL: Genesis 2:4-17

OTA: Isaiah 2:1-5

NT: 1 John 1:1-10

NTA: 1 Corinthians 15:42-49

G: Matthew 12:1-14

GA: Matthew 15:32-39

Ps: Psalm 104:16-35

Collect of the Day:

Lord Jesus in Your ministry of teaching, casting out demons, and healing the sick, You proclaimed the Good News of the kingdom of God.  Send us into all the world to announce that today, in You, Scripture has been fulfilled, the new creation has come, and the healing of the nations is here; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Theme for the Week          Creation for the Flesh

Verse of the Week:            Genesis 2:7

Daily Bible Reading List:

Mon: Isaiah 2:1-5     Tues: 1 John 1:1-10            Wed: Matthew 12:1-14

Thurs:            1 Corinthians 15:42-49      Fri: Matthew 15:32-39

Catechism Reading:

The First Article: Creation

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

Maker of heaven and earth.

What does this mean?

I believe that God has made me and all creatures;

that He has given me my body and soul,

eyes, ears, and all my members,

my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them.

He also gives me clothing and shoes,

food and drink, house and home, wife and children,

land, animals, and all I have.

He richly and daily provides me with all that I need

to support this body and life.

He defends me against all danger

and guards and protects me from all evil.

All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy,

without any merit or worthiness in me.

For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.

This is most certainly true.

The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (NTA)

James 5:1-20

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. ² Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. ³ Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. ⁴ Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. ⁵ You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.
Patience in Suffering

⁷ Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. ⁸ You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. ⁹ Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. ¹⁰ As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹ Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. 

¹² But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
The Prayer of Faith

¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. ¹⁷ Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. ¹⁸ Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. 

¹⁹ My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, ²⁰ let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. 

There is a great power of prayer. James is reminding us of that power. It is the power to heal and strengthen the people of God. But this power is given to God's people. And it comes with another thing, pain and suffering.

Jeremiah and Ezekiel both reminded us of the sufferings God was going to bring against his people. They taught the people about the hardships they would face. They even reminded the people of the blessings God will bring to his people. Thus, here James continues with this similar pattern.

He even reminds the people of God should pray. They should give thanks. They should even seek out one another for help. And most importantly call upon God and confess your sins. If you confess your sins, God will forgive your sins. He will heal you. This is likewise, what we are finding elsewhere this week. God has renewed you and given you a new heart. He has called you to be more than who you are right now.

So the simple answer here is to pray. Beyond that suffer in patience and do good works. Ultimately everything is in the hands of your heavenly father.