Good News

Isaiah 61:1-3
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news
to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, ^[a] 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

Before I begin, I feel that it is necessary to state what these verses in Isaiah say over and over again which goes back to the very beginning of these verses; Good news to the poor. In the last several hundred years, the church has made great strides in providing for the "Spiritual" needs of individuals. The church saw that a person's well being is not as important as their spiritual life. To be sure, there have been small pockets of religious groups that have gone beyond and provided for the physical needs as well but they have been the exception not the norm. Large passages in Scripture have been ignored which warn the church of this danger. James says, "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." What would Jesus say to a generation that spends several million dollars in a building fund, while single moms, the uninsured, and widows are struggling to survive? For too long we have wished the hungry well and have left them hungry.

I have always been made aware of the global issues that are arising around the world. I have been encouraged by some of the organizations that work to make this right. Although we still need to provide for these poor globally, we as the Church need to know the poor in our neighborhoods and communities.

Tuesday nights a group of guys get together for intentional conversations that revolve around our lives as followers of God and the revolution. Philip a friend of mine mentioned that one of the ways in which he is actively participating in expressing love and listening to the Spirit of God is through gift cards. He said that what he does is he goes to the grocery store and buys a few gift cards and prays that he will meet a person to give them to that really needs them. I was amazed.

 

Forgiveness

Father, please help us to love and forgive those who hurt us. Help us to remember that we are to turn the other cheek. Push us to a place where we can actively forgive these people, especially those who claim to know you. It is easier to forgive those people who are at a safe distance where we do not encounter them every day or even every week. But the foundation is decaying underneath our feet because we cannot forgive those who trespass against us. To forgive others is to know your forgiveness. Help us to remember that. Keep us actively pursuing redemption, reconciliation, and jubilee. These three words encompass a theology that is not doctrinal statements about you, but is instead action…a revolution that is raging with love. Help us to remember that you gave us hope and led us to the rivers of forgiveness through your son; who while he was on earth and knew that he would be betrayed by the ones he came to serve, served and loved unconditionally. Help us to remember that we betray you every day and yet your love and forgiveness are always unconditional. Give us the strength to be the first to forgive, the first to love, and the first to pursue reconciliation with our brothers and sisters.

 

 ^1-5 "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

 

¹²"Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get.

 

Pray, then, in this way:
Our Father who is in heaven,
 Hallowed be Your name. 
Your kingdom come 
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven. 
Give us this day our daily bread. 
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.