Laid Bare Prayer

The Kind of People Should We Be #IIPeter3 #worldonfire #endoftheworld #a...

Called and Calling #Come #Advent #Swordsintoplowshares #spearsintoprunin...

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Isaiah 2:1–5

The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.

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 forth instruction and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations and shall arbitrate for many peoples; 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 any more. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!

It is a dark world into which light has come and is coming.

It is estimated that there are anywhere from dozens to over 100 wars being waged right now in the world.

The threat of war is always looming. Bombastic pronouncements accompany our drives to continually arm ourselves for conflict.

We are goading I each other to hating and mistrusting each other.

Madison Avenue nudges us to indulge every one of our desires and to anesthetize every discomfort.

Yet, the sometimes low, soft call continues, “Come.”

Attention to Detail

Nevertheless

Jesus So What #God #divinity #humanfceofGod #ChristIsKing #Trinity #Chri...

Bible Chat Psalm 97

Jesus in the Storm #danger #safety #Psalm89 #walkingonwater #help #rescu...

By Endurance #Luke21 #Temple #Persecution #Trouble #Opportunity #newworl...

You can save your life if you are willing to endure.

 

Then, you can be part of something that transcends any vision of grandeur, a new world with new heavens.

 

As some were admiring the grandeur of one of the wonders of the world, the Temple  of YHWH in Jerusalem, Jesus drops the microphone, declaring that it will be destroyed.

 

There are two visions of the world:

 

1. The one that is and we can see.

 

2. The one that God sees and is creating.

 

We re God’s people and we can share God’s vision and mission for a new world.

 

Nothing is permanent, it seems, except trouble.  Yet, Jesus uses that occasion to teach us a lesson in endurance.

 

Luke 21:5-19

Standing Up When You Are Knocked Down #adversity #trouble #redemption #v...

Standing Up When You Are Knocked Down

Full Text, Supplemental Devotions and Music

Free Friend Link - https://medium.com/@tomsims/standing-up-when-you-are-knocked-down-ca5228970b0a?sk=e8eb7256489d2e1216b366f12a4ad424

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Up a Tree

 

Firey Ordeals #trials #troubles #persecution #difficulties #glory #Chris...

Honest Humble Hopeful #pride #arrogance #judgmental #prideful #critical ...

Honesty Humility Hope

Luke 18:9-14

Two Men Went to Pray

YouTube permanent link:

https://youtu.be/7aVteXYkReE

Text on Medium - https://medium.com/@tom.../hard-to-be-humble-2e9713c44523...

(free friend link)

Link for Medium Members - https://medium.com/@tomsims/hard-to-be-humble-2e9713c44523

SUMMARY

The message by Tom Sims, centered on the theme of humility as the key to honesty and hope, drawing from biblical stories and teachings. Sims began by highlighting the importance of humility across various religions and introduced the main message using the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector from Luke 18:9-14, emphasizing that spiritual pride leads to self-deception and separation from hope, while humility brings justification and acceptance before God. He referenced additional scriptures, including Joel 2:23-30 and 2 Timothy 4:6-8, to illustrate the blessings, restoration, and spiritual renewal that come from honest self-appraisal and humble dependence on God. Sims contrasted the self-righteousness of the Pharisee with the honest repentance of the tax collector, underscoring that God values humility and honest prayer over self-justification. The meeting concluded with a call to embrace humility, seek God's mercy, and extend grace to others, reinforced by a hymn and a benediction, with the key takeaway being that humility and honesty are essential for spiritual hope and restoration.

DISCUSSION

Humility as a Central Spiritual Value The speaker emphasizes humility as the central theme, drawing from cultural references such as Mac Davis's song, the town of Humble, Texas, and Gandhi's assertion that truth without humility becomes arrogance. Humility is presented as a universal spiritual value, recognized across major religions and essential for genuine spiritual growth. The message underscores that spiritual pride leads to dishonesty and a lack of hope, while humility is the foundation for spiritual justification and hope.

Biblical Examples of Humility and Justification The parable from Luke 18:9-14 is used to contrast the Pharisee's self-righteousness with the tax collector's humble plea for mercy, illustrating that justification before God comes from honest self-appraisal and humility, not religious pride. The speaker also references Paul's humility in his letters, particularly in 2 Timothy, where Paul acknowledges his past and credits God's grace for his standing, reinforcing the message that humility and honesty are the true paths to spiritual hope and justification.

Old Testament Perspective: Restoration Through Humility (Joel 2:23-30) Referencing Joel 2:23-30, the speaker highlights how God brings restoration and blessings to those who have been humbled. After a period of hardship, God promises abundant rain, full threshing floors, and the repayment of lost years, assuring that those who call on the Lord will be saved. The passage is used to show that spiritual renewal, calling, and restoration are available to the humble, and that humility leads to the outpouring of God's spirit on all people, regardless of status.

The Nature of Honest Prayer and God's Response The speaker analyzes the prayers of the Pharisee and the tax collector, emphasizing that God hears both but justifies only the humble, honest one. The message is that God seeks honesty and humility, not self-justification, and that true hope comes from relying on God's mercy rather than personal merit.

Practical Application: Living Out Humility and Mercy The speaker encourages listeners to approach God with honesty and humility and to walk humbly with others, avoiding judgment and condemnation. Referencing the hymn 'Rock of Ages,' the message is that God forgives all sins if approached with humility, and that true peace and spiritual exaltation come from relying on Christ's mercy rather than personal merit. The closing blessing reinforces the call to peace, humility, and dependence on God's grace in daily life.

not exactly an opening hymn, is it?

Joy & Weeping Ezra 2 #rededication #nostalgia #memories #joy #weeping ...

Let All You Do Be Done in Love #love #ethics #christianliving #jesus #pu...

The Kerygma #kerygma #proclamation #StPaul #Jesus #Gospel #message #firs...

Of First Importance

The Kerygma

The often-repeated proclamation of the early church

Continuity- The Christ - Messianic promises
Christ - Anointed as Messiah at his baptism
Conduct of His Ministry
Crucifixion - Christ died for our sins.
Conquest - Resurrection
Crowning - Exaltation
Comforter - Sending the Spirit for the birth of the church
Culmination and Restoration through His second coming
Calling -Repent and be baptized

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you-- unless you have come to believe in vain.

For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.

Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them-- though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.

The Struggle #faith #Jacob #Israel #wrestlingwithGod #faithcrisis #wrest...

The Struggle

This Morning's Sermon and Bible Study with Discussion Questions for Your House Churches and Small Groups

Jacob and His Night of Wrestling with God

Medium Member Link

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Free Friend Link

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On YouTube - https://youtu.be/DKYrRYLVqpc

Resurrection Snippet #christisrisen

Gifts of the Spirit #charisma #charismatic #giftsofthespirit #spiritualg...

Burning Scrolls #Jeremiah #truth #propheticword #contempt