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Episodes
Saturday Oct 21, 2023
Saturday Oct 21, 2023
Psalm 51
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
51:1 Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.
51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin.
51:3 For I know my transgressions. My sin is constantly before me.
51:4 Against you, and you only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight; that you may be proved right when you speak, and justified when you judge.
51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity. In sin my mother conceived me.
51:6 Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts. You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
51:7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
51:8 Let me hear joy and gladness, That the bones which you have broken may rejoice.
51:9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all of my iniquities.
51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.
51:11 Don’t throw me from your presence, and don’t take your holy Spirit from me.
51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation. Uphold me with a willing spirit.
51:13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways. Sinners shall be converted to you.
51:14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation. My tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
51:15 Lord, open my lips. My mouth shall declare your praise.
51:16 For you don’t delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it. You have no pleasure in burnt offering.
51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
51:18 Do well in your good pleasure to Zion. Build the walls of Jerusalem.
51:19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, in burnt offerings and in whole burnt offerings. Then they will offer bulls on your altar.
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Saturday Oct 21, 2023
Saturday Oct 21, 2023
11. Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners
Mark 2:13-17 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi (Matthew) son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
At the start of this chapter, Mark 2, we see Jesus’ proclaiming that he is able to forgive sins – much to the consternation of some members of the religious establishment who accused Jesus of blasphemy as only God can forgive sins! Jesus here cured a man’s soul as well as healing his physical ailment. Jesus calls himself there, the Son of Man – meaning that while he is fully God, he is also fully human!
This Jesus, the Son of Man, in this passage is walking out around the lake. He sees a tax collector sitting in his booth waiting to collect taxes from people. Jesus calls to him to leave his business and follow him! At which Levi, who we know as Matthew (the writer of the Gospel with the same name), promptly does so. Again much to the indignation of the religious zealots, because tax collectors were despised. They were despised not just for co-operating with the gentile Romans but also because they usually collected more than they were legally allowed to, and kept the excess for themselves.
That Jesus chose one of these people to be his disciple or follower was an amazing thing to do! Most people chose followers who didn’t have a hint of scandal about them, certainly not a tax collector! But not Jesus – he chose people to follow him including those who were scandalous and down-trodden. This shows the inordinate grace and wisdom of Jesus. Grace which calls such a sinful person as Matthew and a wisdom to call a man who spoke both Greek and Aramaic as Matthew did. He knew they could be transformed by the work of God!
As he started to follow Jesus, Matthew left everything behind to serve Jesus. Matthew didn’t choose Jesus – Jesus chose him! WOW! Jesus appealed to Matthew to follow him but did not force him. Jesus loved Matthew. Love can be compelling and appealing but love never forces against the will. Jesus will compel you to follow and obey, but He will never force you to do something against your own will. In response to the indignation of the religious establishment, Jesus states clearly that his mission is to call those who acknowledge their sinfulness – unlike those of the religious establishment who were hypocrites. In Matthew’s account of this story Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6 “I desire mercy, not sacrifice!” The religious establishment including the Pharisees were mainly devoid of mercy, yet kept the law and its sacrifices obediently. Such people as tax collectors where shunned by the Pharisees. Yet Jesus, the Son of Man, embraced such people and called upon them to leave their sinful life behind. Jesus forgave Matthew of his sins and reached out to him with love – just as Jesus still does today.
I am a follower of Jesus. I have been now for almost 40 years and He has never failed me. Even when I have failed him! Are you following this Jesus? He is calling you to follow Him out of his love for you. His love compels you, but He won’t force you to follow, as that would not be love. Jesus leaves the choice with you. Follow or not!
Come back tomorrow for Day 12 of our series AGOG, as we continue to look together at that extraordinary man, Jesus Christ, through the Gospel accounts! We will see together, Jesus teaching something new to one of the teachers of the Law! See you soon!
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Friday Oct 20, 2023
Friday Oct 20, 2023
Psalm 49
(as read by Anne A)
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For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by the sons of Korah.
49:1 Hear this, all you peoples. Listen, all you inhabitants of the world,
49:2 both low and high, rich and poor together.
49:3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom. My heart shall utter understanding.
49:4 I will incline my ear to a proverb. I will open my riddle on the harp.
49:5 Why should I fear in the days of evil, when iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
49:6 Those who trust in their wealth, and boast in the multitude of their riches—
49:7 none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give God a ransom for him.
49:8 For the redemption of their life is costly, no payment is ever enough,
49:9 That he should live on forever, that he should not see corruption.
49:10 For he sees that wise men die;
likewise the fool and the senseless perish, and leave their wealth to others.
49:11 Their inward thought is that their houses will endure forever,
and their dwelling places to all generations. They name their lands after themselves.
49:12 But man, despite his riches, doesn’t endure. He is like the animals that perish.
49:13 This is the destiny of those who are foolish, and of those who approve their sayings.
Selah.
49:14 They are appointed as a flock for Sheol. Death shall be their shepherd.
The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning.
Their beauty shall decay in Sheol, far from their mansion.
49:15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me.
Selah.
49:16 Don’t be afraid when a man is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased.
49:17 For when he dies he shall carry nothing away. His glory shall not descend after him.
49:18 Though while he lived he blessed his soul— and men praise you when you do well for yourself—
49:19 he shall go to the generation of his fathers. They shall never see the light.
49:20 A man who has riches without understanding, is like the animals that perish.
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Friday Oct 20, 2023
Friday Oct 20, 2023
Jesus’ in his hometown
We are on Day 10 of our adventure, looking together at the life of the most amazing person in human history - Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Luke 4:16-22 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.
Jesus is now back in the place where he grew up – Nazareth. It is the Sabbath, so he goes to the local synagogue for public worship, as was his custom.He is passed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, deliberately finds the passage he wants and reads it. Then passes the scroll back to the attendant. As the eyes of the people in attendance were watching him, Jesus says “Today this has been fulfilled…” They knew that this passage was about the long waited for Messiah – its what the religious teachers had taught them.
This is Jesus’ mission statement. This is what Jesus’ life and teaching will encompass.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me – This shows that Jesus is not acting by any authority but commissioned by God’s alone. He is guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit, as we saw when we learnt about Jesus’ baptism earlier in the series. And why is the Spirit of the Lord upon him? Jesus was commissioned to be a great prophet and preacher! Because Jesus has been appointed to bring good news to the poor and impoverished of spirit and heart, the fed up, those imprisoned, blind and battered – those that are in need of healing – physical and spiritual. Jesus was to bring light into darkness, to rescue those who are bereft of salvation my any means but Himself. Jesus’ gospel was good news because it gives hope to the poor in spirit, to heal those in need, to bring freedom to those held captive by sin and to shine light upon those sitting in the dark prison of sin.
The year of Jubilee was the year of the Lord’s favour! It is described in Leviticus 25! On every 7th year was a Sabbatical year and the land was allowed to rest and every 50th year was the Year of Jubilee. Slaves set free to be returned to their families, sold property returned to their original owners and debts cancelled. The Lord was to be rejoiced in greatly! Jesus applied all this to his mission, not politically or economically, but spiritually and physically. WOW! Jesus didn’t just affirm that passage from Isaiah, but claimed to have fulfilled it. He fulfilled it by starting his public ministry.
Jesus mission was to let people know that the God to whom they were separated from, was willing to be reconciled with them. We will see later in the series how he did that!
The people in the synagogue were amazed by what Jesus had said! This was Jesus – Joseph’s son! WOW! Their amazement though soon turned to contempt when Jesus put some application to them.
Jesus anticipates now an objection! He knows their hearts and minds behind the façade. Almost as if to say, “Well you know me as Joseph’s son, one of your neighbours you will now ask why I haven’t done any miracles here like I did at Capernaum! If you are a physician, Jesus, why not do some healing here amongst your family, friends and community?” Oh they loved Jesus gracious words, but they were also hoping for some spectacular works! As he had done it at Capernaum, he should surely do it for those in Nazareth! We are his hometown!
First he replies that he won’t be making Nazareth his headquarters because they had prejudices against him. Jesus would not be honoured in his own community, regardless of what he did! Secondly by saying that this good news, wasn’t just for the Jews but also for the Gentiles! This made the people grew indignant! Jesus reminded them that through two of the greatest prophets, Elijah and Elisha, God had blessed the Gentiles! Jesus says, and so will I! WOW! He infuriated them so much that they chased him out of the synagogue out of the town and were prepare to throw him off a cliff. But Jesus turned at the cliff edge and merely walked through them and went on his way.
That is my Jesus! He has set me free from sin and bought light to my darkness! Is this Jesus yours?
Come back tomorrow for Day 11 of our series AGOG, as we continue to look together that extraordinary man, Jesus Christ, through the Gospel accounts! See you soon!
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Thursday Oct 19, 2023
Thursday Oct 19, 2023
Psalm 16 to Psalm 20
Often we hear the Psalms one by one, but today we offer you the chance to hear a group of Psalms read as a collection!
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Psalm 16
A miktam of David.
1 Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the LORD, ‘You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.’
3 I say of the holy people who are in the land,
‘They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.’
4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names on my lips.
5 LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the LORD.
With him at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
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Psalm 17
A prayer of David.
1 Hear me, LORD, my plea is just;
listen to my cry.
Hear my prayer –
it does not rise from deceitful lips.
2 Let my vindication come from you;
may your eyes see what is right.
3 Though you probe my heart,
though you examine me at night and test me,
you will find that I have planned no evil;
my mouth has not transgressed.
4 Though people tried to bribe me,
I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
through what your lips have commanded.
5 My steps have held to your paths;
my feet have not stumbled.
6 I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
7 Show me the wonders of your great love,
you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings
9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.
10 They close up their callous hearts,
and their mouths speak with arrogance.
11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me,
with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion hungry for prey,
like a fierce lion crouching in cover.
13 Rise up, LORD, confront them, bring them down;
with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
14 By your hand save me from such people, LORD,
from those of this world whose reward is in this life.
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
may their children gorge themselves on it,
and may there be leftovers for their little ones.
15 As for me, I shall be vindicated and shall see your face;
when I awake, I shall be satisfied with seeing your likeness.
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Psalm 18
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
1 I love you, LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I have been saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called to the LORD;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
7 The earth trembled and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
9 He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him –
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
13 The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, LORD,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the LORD was my support.
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
20 The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD;
I am not guilty of turning from my God.
22 All his laws are before me;
I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless before him
and have kept myself from sin.
24 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
27 You save the humble
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
28 You, LORD, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.
29 With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect:
the LORD’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God besides the LORD?
And who is the Rock except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength
and keeps my way secure.
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he causes me to stand on the heights.
34 He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains me;
your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them so that they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.
39 You armed me with strength for battle;
you humbled my adversaries before me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them –
to the LORD, but he did not answer.
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;
I trampled them like mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
you have made me the head of nations.
People I did not know now serve me,
44 foreigners cower before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45 They all lose heart;
they come trembling from their strongholds.
46 The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God my Saviour!
47 He is the God who avenges me,
who subdues nations under me,
48 who saves me from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man you rescued me.
49 Therefore I will praise you, LORD, among the nations;
I will sing the praises of your name.
50 He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing love to his anointed,
to David and to his descendants for ever.
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Psalm 19
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring for ever.
The decrees of the LORD are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
11 By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from wilful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
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Psalm 20
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 May the LORD answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.
3 May he remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.
4 May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory
and lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the LORD grant all your requests.
6 Now this I know:
the LORD gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
with the victorious power of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
8 They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.
9 LORD, give victory to the king!
Answer us when we call!
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Thursday Oct 19, 2023
Thursday Oct 19, 2023
Jesus' Temptations
Welcome back to our series, AGOG - A Glimpse of God. We are on Day 9 of our adventure, looking together at the life of the most amazing person in human history - Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Today we will look at Jesus' temptations as He starts his public ministry.
Reading from Mark 1:12-13 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.
After his baptism, Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit into the desert. Matthew and Luke both give a more indepth report than Mark does into what occurred there. Jesus' temptation experiences in the desert were all part of God's plan at the start of Jesus' public ministry, in order that the type of Messiah Jesus was, would be revealed.
These temptations reveal Jesus' perfect and full humanity. Not only is Jesus fully God but it he is also fully human. Knowing Jesus to be both God and man, satan started his plan of attack against him. After forty days of fasting, prayer and wandering in the desert, Jesus is confronted by satan with three temptations.
First temptation - satan starts by saying "So you are the Son of God." As if to say, "If you are really who that voice speaking at your baptism says you are, then prove it to me. You must surely be hungry by now, so why don't you turn these stones into bread and feed yourself". Satan wanted Jesus to disobey God the Father's will by using His powers for selfish purposes and to doubt God the Father's love and care. Jesus answered satan by using Scripture "'Man does not live on bread alone." (Deuteronomy 8:3). For Jesus, instead of relying on His own power to create food, it showed His trust in God the Father to take total care of Him.
Second temptation - This is satan's encouragement for Jesus to engage in false worship. Satan says it's all yours if you just bow the knee and worship me. Of course satan is as always telling a deceiving half-truth. Though satan has great power, he has no authority to be able to offer Jesus everything he said he would give. He is also not worthy of worship, as his power is always destructive and leads to wanton disobedience and unfaithfulness. Jesus' reply again is from Scripture, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only'" (Deuteronomy 6:13). Jesus here is saying that He will only serve one Master - God the Father.
Third temptation - Here, satan encourages Jesus to take God the Father up on His promised protection. "Throw yourself off the top of the temple. If God is faithful and true, God will catch you and protect you as you start off on this ministry of yours!" Satan also here quotes Scripture in order to make the temptation much more appealing (Psalm 91:11-12). However, this is a misquote, because he doesn't add "in all your ways". Jesus however, quotes Scripture back "Do not put the Lord your God to the test" (Deuteronomy 6:16). In quoting Scripture back at satan, Jesus gives balance to the total expression of God's will and not just part of it.
God the Father fulfilled his promise to care for Jesus, by sending angels to care for Jesus' needs and to protect him. Jesus emerged from the desert experience, the victor, and to continue his ministry. Jesus refused to acquiesce to the lures of satan, and his demands to test God the Father's faithfulness on his own terms. Jesus knows the struggles we undergo, because He has also undergone them. He is not unsympathetic towards us when we are being tempted. What can you learn from Jesus in dealing with your own temptations?
Come back tomorrow for Day 10 of our series AGOG, as we continue to look together that extraordinary man, Jesus Christ, through the Gospel accounts! Tomorrow we will start to look at Jesus' Teaching and how he interacted with people.
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Wednesday Oct 18, 2023
Wednesday Oct 18, 2023
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Psalm 136
1 Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good;
for his loving kindness endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods;
for his loving kindness endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
4 To him who alone does great wonders;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
5 To him who by understanding made the heavens;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
6 To him who spread out the earth above the waters;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
7 To him who made the great lights;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
8 The sun to rule by day;
for his loving kindness endures forever;
9 The moon and stars to rule by night;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
10 To him who struck down the Egyptian firstborn;
for his loving kindness endures forever;
11 And brought out Israel from among them;
for his loving kindness endures forever;
12 With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
13 To him who divided the Red Sea apart;
for his loving kindness endures forever;
14 And made Israel to pass through its midst;
for his loving kindness endures forever;
15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
16 To him who led his people through the wilderness;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
17 To him who struck great kings;
for his loving kindness endures forever;
18 And killed mighty kings;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
19 Sihon king of the Amorites;
for his loving kindness endures forever;
20 Og king of Bashan;
for his loving kindness endures forever;
21 And gave their land as an inheritance;
for his loving kindness endures forever;
22 Even a heritage to Israel his servant;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
23 Who remembered us in our low estate;
for his loving kindness endures forever;
24 And has delivered us from our adversaries;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
25 Who gives food to every creature;
for his loving kindness endures forever.
26 Oh give thanks to the God of heaven;
for his loving kindness endures forever.
Psalm 137
1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down.
Yes, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
2 On the willows in the midst of it,
We hung up our harps.
3 For there, those who led us captive asked us for songs.
Those who tormented us demanded songs of joy:
"Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
4 How can we sing Yahweh's song in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, Jerusalem,
Let my right hand forget its skill.
6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
If I don't remember you;
If I don't prefer Jerusalem above my chief joy.
7 Remember, Yahweh, against the children of Edom,
The day of Jerusalem; Who said,
"Raze it! Raze it even to its foundation!"
8 Daughter of Babylon,
doomed to destruction,
He will be happy who rewards you,
As you have served us.
9 Happy shall he be,
Who takes and dashes your
little ones against the rock.
Psalm 138
A psalm of David.
1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart;
I will sing your praises before the gods.
2 I bow before your holy Temple as I worship.
I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness;
for your promises are backed
by all the honor of your name.
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3 As soon as I pray, you answer me;
you encourage me by giving me strength.
4 Every king in all the earth will thank you, Lord,
for all of them will hear your words.
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5 Yes, they will sing about the Lord's ways,
for the glory of the Lord is very great.
6 Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble,
but he keeps his distance from the proud.
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7 Though I am surrounded by troubles,
you will protect me from the anger of my enemies.
You reach out your hand,
and the power of your right hand saves me.
8 The Lord will work out his plans for my life-
for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.
Don't abandon me, for you made me.
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Wednesday Oct 18, 2023
Wednesday Oct 18, 2023
Jesus’ Baptism & Genealogy
Welcome back to our series, AGOG – A Glimpse of God. We are on Day 8 of our adventure, looking together at the life of the most amazing person in human history - Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Today we will look at the baptism of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and his genealogy!
Mark 1:9-11 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
John 1:24-34 Now the Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”
Jesus’ baptism shows the commencement of Jesus’ public ministry. Jesus is now about 30 years old. John the Baptist precedes all Gospel accounts of the start of Jesus’ ministry, and this is because repentance before God is the key to starting a new life in God’s Kingdom. As you know, we looked at John in our previous study.
Jesus comes to John the Baptist, and presents himself for baptism. John at first refuses to do it (Matthew 3:13-15). He knew that Jesus was the perfect Son of God who had no need to repent of sin.
But why did Jesus get baptized? Through his baptism, Jesus identifies with all sinners that He came to save. In replying to John’s initial refusal to baptize him, Jesus Himself gives the answer “…it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). This looks forward to the cross, because it is only through the baptism of suffering that Jesus endured on the cross, that God is able to fulfil all righteousness. The “us” referred to means Father, Son and Spirit. When Jesus came up from the water, the Father spoke from heaven and identified Him as the beloved Son of God, and the Spirit visibly came upon Jesus in the form of a dove.
Witness by The Father and the Spirit: Witnesses to this event are God the Father and God the Holy Spirit! God the Father spoke these words “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” God the Holy Spirit came down as a dove and remained rested on Jesus, God the Son! WOW! What a sight that must have been! Amazing!
Who is this Jesus? Jesus’ genealogies as recorded for us in the Gospels, Luke 3:23–38 and Matthew 1:1–17, show that Jesus the Son of God was also the Son of Man, born into the world, identifying with the needs and problems of mankind. Through the genealogies, we see down through the generations Jesus’ link to Adam and ultimately God. The phrase “the son of” generally means any remotely connected descendant or ancestor.
It is a reminder that Jesus, being Joseph’s legal son was part of a human family, tribe, race and nation. Jesus’ line goes back through the Old Testament from Joseph to King David to Judah, Jacob, Isaac and Abraham, to Methuselah to Noah and Adam. The genealogy, with its link to David, shows Jesus’ right to ascend to David’s throne (Luke 1v32-33). The genealogy shows Jesus’ total human-ness, and because he is linked to Adam, identifies with all humanity and not just Israel. But there is one difference between Jesus and all other humans. In Luke’s genealogy of Jesus, he doesn’t stop at Adam, as he would have for all other humans, but goes further linking Jesus to God.
He was the Son of Man as well as the Son of God. Adam has come into the world bearing the true image of a son of God, but, when Adam disobeyed God, that image was marred and scarred due to sin entering the world. All that is, except Jesus. The voice from God the Father ratified Jesus as the Son of God. Not a son of God as some may claim, but the one and only Son of God. The genealogy of Jesus Christ, points to the unbroken relationship between Jesus and God.
Come back tomorrow for Day 9 of our series AGOG, as we continue to look together that extraordinary man, Jesus Christ, through the Gospel accounts! We will look at Jesus’ Temptations! See you soon!
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Tuesday Oct 17, 2023
Tuesday Oct 17, 2023
Psalm 120 to Psalm 125
Often we hear the Psalms one by one, but today we offer you the chance to hear a group of Psalms read as a collection!
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Psalm 120
1 I call on the LORD in my distress,
and he answers me.
2 Save me, LORD,
from lying lips
and from deceitful tongues.
3 What will he do to you,
and what more besides,
you deceitful tongue?
4 He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows,
with burning coals of the broom bush.
5 Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek,
that I live among the tents of Kedar!
6 Too long have I lived
among those who hate peace.
7 I am for peace;
but when I speak, they are for war.
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Psalm 121
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains –
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip –
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you –
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm –
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and for evermore.
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Psalm 122
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
‘Let us go to the house of the LORD.’
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4 That is where the tribes go up –
the tribes of the LORD –
to praise the name of the LORD
according to the statute given to Israel.
5 There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
‘May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.’
8 For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, ‘Peace be within you.’
9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
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Psalm 123
1 I lift up my eyes to you,
to you who sit enthroned in heaven.
2 As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
till he shows us his mercy.
3 Have mercy on us, LORD, have mercy on us,
for we have endured no end of contempt.
4 We have endured no end
of ridicule from the arrogant,
of contempt from the proud.
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Psalm 124
1 If the LORD had not been on our side –
let Israel say –
2 if the LORD had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
3 they would have swallowed us alive
when their anger flared against us;
4 the flood would have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over us,
5 the raging waters
would have swept us away.
6 Praise be to the LORD,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird
from the fowler’s snare;
the snare has been broken,
and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
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Psalm 125
1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures for ever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the LORD surrounds his people
both now and for evermore.
3 The sceptre of the wicked will not remain
over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
their hands to do evil.
4 LORD, do good to those who are good,
to those who are upright in heart.
5 But those who turn to crooked ways
the LORD will banish with the evildoers.
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Tuesday Oct 17, 2023
Tuesday Oct 17, 2023
A Voice Calling in the Wilderness
Welcome back to our series, AGOG – A Glimpse of God. We are on Day 7 of our adventure, looking together at the life of the most amazing person in human history - Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Today we will look at the forerunner to Jesus Christ of Nazareth, his cousin John!
Mark 1:1-3 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:“I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way — a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”
Matthew 3:1-12 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness! ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Who was John the Baptist?
Other parts of the Gospels, tell us more about this man, John the Baptist. We can see that his conception by the aged parents, Zacharias and Elizabeth, must have been a form of miracle and together with his birth were predicted, and that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit of God - even in his mother’s womb! This signifies his coming in order to prepare the way for the world’s Redeemer – his cousin Jesus Christ! He is known as John the Baptist, because he immersed, or baptised, people in water. Jesus Himself, later on tells this about John “Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Matthew 11:11).
When John came When John the Baptist appeared on the scene, no prophetic voice had been heard within Israel for almost 400 years. His coming was part of God’s perfect timing, for everything that relates to God’s Son is always on time (Galatians 4:4; John 2:4, 13:1)
How John came Dressed and acting like the Old Testament prophet Elijah, John came to the area near the River Jordan, preaching and baptizing. He announced the arrival of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 3:3) and urged the people to repent. John’s baptism looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Why John came John the Baptist was a voice “crying in the wilderness” (Isaiah 40:1-5; Luke 3:4; John 1:23). Spiritually speaking, the nation of Israel was living in a state of unbelief and twisted spiritual reality. The people desperately needed to hear a voice from God, and John was that faithful voice. It was John’s work to prepare the nation for the Messiah and then present the Messiah to them. John is compared to an axe-man cutting down trees that down bear fruit (Luke 3:9) or a farmer who burns useless chaff (Luke 3:17). Many Jews of the time thought they were destined for heaven simply because they were descended from Abraham. In Luke 3:7, John depicts the crowds as snakes.
John’s Teaching John the Baptist also was a teacher. He taught people to live their new faith (Luke 3:10-14). He told them not to be selfish, but to share their blessings with other people. Tax collectors were told by John to do their work honestly. Soldiers were to stop using their jobs for personal gain. John clearly stated that Jesus was “the Lord” (Luke 3:4) and the Son of God (John 1:34)
Come back tomorrow for Day 8 of our series AGOG, as we continue to look together that extraordinary man, Jesus Christ, through the Gospel accounts! We will be looking at Jesus’ Baptism! See you soon!