500 Years

500 Years from Joseph Taber on Vimeo.


Haggai 2:1b-9
1b…the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai, saying: 2Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say, 3Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? 4Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the LORD; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadek, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the LORD; work, for I am with you, says the LORD of hosts, 5according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you, do not fear. 6For thus says the LORD of hosts: once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; 7and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the LORD of hosts. 8The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD of hosts. 9The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the LORD of hosts.

This is the Word of the LORD
Thanks be to God

Matthew 4:18-22
18As [Jesus] walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea - for they were fishermen. 19And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” 20Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. 22Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

This is the Word of the LORD
Thanks be to God.

It's Not About The Coin!

I Thessalonians 1:1-10

1Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

2We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly 3remembering before our God and Fathir your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake. 6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, 7so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. 9For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead - Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.

This is the Word of the LORD

Thanks be to God

Matthew 22:15-22

15Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said, 16So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. 17Tell us then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the Emperor, or not?” 18But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? 19Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” 21They answered, “The emperor’s” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.

This is the Word of the LORD

Thanks be to God.

In ancient Palestine, Jewish political thought was represented by two opposing, but equally important groups. The Pharisees who resisted Roman occupation through strict observance of Jewish Law, and the Herodians, who submitted to Rome and supported its presence and rule. They represented the Law of Jewish tradition and the Order of Roman rule. These are their stories.

Now obviously, these two groups don’t work together very often. It takes a very special circumstance for these political opponents to find common ground. Our blessed savior is a walking special circumstance. He has the support of the people, they’re amazed by his teaching and by his deeds of power. He also hasn’t done anything to offend the Roman rulers. He’s not using his influence to stir up rebellion or anything like that. His teaching does, however, challenge the authority of the religious elites.

So the Pharisees call their loyal opposition, the Herodians, and propose to trap this dangerously popular preacher: make him choose between inciting rebellion and alienating the people: get him talking about taxes.

Now, here in 21st century America, opinions on taxes range from “Taxes are how we gather resources to do what none of us can do alone,” to “All taxation is theft.” Our understanding of taxes is a little different than it was to the Jews living in 1st century Palestine. For them, it was a question of paying a tribute to an occupying power in a way that acknowledged the “divinity” of the emperor.

But Caesar is not divine, no matter how many official court documents say so. The LORD is God, the LORD alone. Using a Roman coin to promote Roman interests in their hometown? Folks paid the tax because not doing so was an act of rebellion, but they resented it. The wrath of the empire was not worth it.

So the Pharisees and the Herodians come at our Lord Jesus hoping to trap him between the wrath of Rome and the ire of the crowds. “The effect of their praise is to say ‘OK Mr. Truth-teller who never shies away from controversy, handle this hot potato.” They know that no matter which side he chooses, he’ll be in trouble. He’s stuck between the Law of Moses and the Order imposed by the empire.

This is a familiar enough story that we know that Jesus turns their trap inside out. Jesus knows that the issues at hand not really about the coin. The language of older translations has seeped into our minds, saying, “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and render unto God what is God’s…” Now the Pharisees and Herodians are caught up in the same trap they set for Jesus. “…they were amazed; and they left him and went away.”

Jesus knows it’s not about the coin. It’s not about the question of the law or the ordering of society. In this moment, where we meet Jesus in this story, Jesus’s answer skewers the reason the Pharisees and the Herodians were divided in the first place. The Pharisees and the Herodians have both put something else in the place reserved for the living and true God, and those two idolatries are competing with one another. The Pharisees have made an idol out of Tradition and religious purity. The Herodians made theirs out of political power and influence. It’s not about the coin, it’s not even about the Law or about Order, these two groups of God’s chosen people have gotten sidetracked by the idols they have made for themselves.

You’re not likely to find that many actual golden calves in 21st century churches. Neither are there many statues of Canaanite fertility Gods, or even inscriptions praising the divinity of Roman emperors. But idolatry is a sickness to which everyone’s soul is still susceptible. It’s the same process taking on new forms. Anytime we put something in the place reserved for the living and true God, we have made an idol. The examples of the Pharisees and Herodians are still very much alive today. How many churches have fallen away from preaching the gospel because they began to worship tradition instead of God? How many communities of faith have chosen political power over the power of faith?

But those large categories are far from the only ways we invent “gods” that are easier to follow than our Lord Jesus Christ. Everybody has a favorite idol. The hard part is that they tend to live in our blind spots, and we can’t always see how we have slid something else onto God’s throne.

I’m as guilty of this as any other sinner. My idols are sculpted from busy-ness and standard bearing. I start by serving a gracious and generous God, whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light. But then I mistake the work for God. The work I put in has good outcomes that earn praise, and it makes me, and those I serve, look good. I take a lot of pride in the way out congregation is viewed by the Presbytery, I want us to look good, and to be good. The praise Paul and company shower on the church of the Thessalonians is exactly what I’m after. Before I know it, I’m either exhausted and overwhelmed, because instead of serving the God who gives us sabbath, I’m trying to serve the idol of pride and notoriety.

Fortunately for me, Jesus is really good about pulling me out of that mess. His answer “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s” helps me get my priorities back in order, and I can remember that what belongs to the emperor belongs to God first. I’ve had a lot of practice at falling into that trap, I’m getting better at recognizing it and pulling myself out, with God’s help.

Maybe you’re like me, and your idol is “being the best” at whatever. Maybe you’re like the Pharisees, and religious purity is your idol, and you look down on those who fail to practice their faith tradition flawlessly. Maybe you’re like the Herodians, and power and influence in your community is your idol, and the idea of losing your position in society is heresy.

Maybe the idol is something else, a symbol that has taken on religious significance, and any challenge to that symbol is offensive, even if the challenge is well meaning. Maybe the idol is a particular worldview that cannot be questioned under any circumstances.

The thing that makes idolatry so infectious is that there’s always a support group for it. One person who decided the Law of Moses was essential finds support among the Pharisees, and they push one another further down the path until the Son of God looks more like a threat than a blessing. One person finds political influence is attractive, then the Herodians come along and they encourage one another to chase it down even if they lose their identity along the way. My idol finds a support group with people who talk about being busy as though it were a virtue, and who compare reputations to find their place in life.

A support group for idolatry is called a cult. Fortunately, we worship a God who is not threatened by our attempts to put something else in his place. Instead, God intervenes to break us out of our idolatrous practices, amazing Herodians and Pharisees alike, and inspiring us to take a fresh look at how we are to remember to give to God what belongs to God, even if that means we have to make a change in our lives.

The moment we capture between Jesus as those who seek to trap him is only a fragment of the story, and we know that he’s only a few chapters away from crowds chanting “give us Barabbas!” But we also know that his crucifixion is not the full story. The idols of this world do not win in the end. We are not hopeless trapped by sin. The living and true God saves us from ourselves, and loves us no matter how many times we try and push him off of his throne.

From there, it’s on us to try and do a little better. To resist the factory of idols and to continue to serve our Lord Jesus Christ as faithfully as possible.

What The...?

What The ...? from Joseph Taber on Vimeo.

John 6:28-35
28Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’ 29Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’ 30So they said to him, ‘What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? 31Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” ’ 32Then Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ 34They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’

35Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

This is the Word of the LORD
Thanks be to God

Exodus 16:1-5, 13b-31
1The whole congregation of the Israelites set out from Elim; and Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. 2The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.’

4Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. 5On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.’

13…In the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?’ For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, ‘It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. 16This is what the Lord has commanded: “Gather as much of it as each of you needs, an omer to a person according to the number of persons, all providing for those in their own tents.” ’ 17The Israelites did so, some gathering more, some less. 18But when they measured it with an omer, those who gathered much had nothing over, and those who gathered little had no shortage; they gathered as much as each of them needed. 19And Moses said to them, ‘Let no one leave any of it over until morning.’ 20But they did not listen to Moses; some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul. And Moses was angry with them. 21Morning by morning they gathered it, as much as each needed; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.
22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much food, two omers apiece. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23he said to them, ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: “Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord; bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning.” ’ 24So they put it aside until morning, as Moses commanded them; and it did not become foul, and there were no worms in it. 25Moses said, ‘Eat it today, for today is a sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26For six days you shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is a sabbath, there will be none.’

27On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, and they found none. 28The Lord said to Moses, ‘How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and instructions? 29See! The Lord has given you the sabbath, therefore on the sixth day he gives you food for two days; each of you stay where you are; do not leave your place on the seventh day.’ 30So the people rested on the seventh day.

31The house of Israel called it manna; it was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.

This is the Word of the LORD
Thanks be to God.

They Will Stand

Matthew 18:21-35

21Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ 22Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.

23‘For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; 25and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. 26So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.” 27And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 28But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow-slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, “Pay what you owe.” 29Then his fellow-slave fell down and pleaded with him, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you.” 30But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he should pay the debt. 31When his fellow-slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32Then his lord summoned him and said to him, “You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33Should you not have had mercy on your fellow-slave, as I had mercy on you?” 34And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he should pay his entire debt. 35So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.’

This is the Word of the LORD

Thanks be to God

Romans 14:1-12

1Welcome the person who is weak in faith--but not in order to argue about differences of opinion. 2One person believes in eating everything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3Those who eat must not look down on the ones who don't, and the ones who don't eat must not judge the ones who do, because God has accepted them. 4Who are you to judge someone else's servants? They stand or fall before their own Lord (and they will stand, because the Lord has the power to make them stand). 

5One person considers some days to be more sacred than others, while another person considers all days to be the same. Each person must have their own convictions. 6Someone who thinks that a day is sacred, thinks that way for the Lord. Those who eat, eat for the Lord, because they thank God. And those who don't eat, don't eat for the Lord, and they thank the Lord too. 7We don't live for ourselves and we don't die for ourselves. 8If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore whether we live or die, we belong to God. 

9This is why Christ died and lived: so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 10But why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you look down on your brother or sister? We all will stand in front of the judgment seat of God. 11Because it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God. 12So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

This is the Word of the LORD

Thanks be to God.

I’m always grateful, after a short time away, to come home to this congregation. We’re not in our usual worship space, but that doesn’t deter us. We know that things can be different, and still be okay. This congregation has a deep, strong faith that has nurtured hundreds of members in our more than 70 year history. Those whom God has gathered here are committed to the ministry of this congregation, and to the mission of God’s Church.

The challenges we have faced in our history, especially over the past fifteen or so years, have given us many opportunities to practice our faith. We’ve grown into a mature congregation and we love to think of ourselves as welcoming to all people. It’s right there in our mission statement: In response to God’s call, the Presbyterian 

Church of Lowell seeks to worship God, grow in faith, and show God’s love to everyone.

Enter Romans 14. “1Welcome the person who is weak in faith--but not in order to argue about differences of opinion.” As a congregation, we’re pretty good at that. We’ve got a lot of tolerance for questions, and this really is a community where it’s okay to not be okay. I think that’s wonderful, I think it’s a strength of our congregation and I think it’s a huge asset to our community.

Because in the world outside, most folks only entertain a difference of opinion so that they can show the weakness of that person’s beliefs.

Examples: news with token opposition, straw man arguments online, denominational competition,

Even when we talk about politics or theology among our friends, how often to we welcome those ideas that we consider “weak?” Or is it more common to listen only long enough to get to our own argument, so we can show them how right we are, and how wrong they are…

“2One person believes in eating everything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3Those who eat must not look down on the ones who don't, and the ones who don't eat must not judge the ones who do, because God has accepted them. 4Who are you to judge someone else's servants? They stand or fall before their own Lord (and they will stand, because the Lord has the power to make them stand).”

We’re pretty good at welcoming others. Our congregation has room for more than one side, and that in itself is a powerful witness to Christ, who has accepted them, and us, no matter what. 

Examples: suits and sweatpants, guitar and pipe organ, introspective and expressive, liberal and conservative.

As a community, we’re pretty good at this welcoming stuff. As individuals though, we sometimes miss the mark, and fall back into the selfish patterns that are so often modeled in the world around us.

Paul, the author of Romans, pulls quite the pastoral and political move here. No matter what your spiritual practice is, you can take the side of being e one who is strong in faith. “5One person considers some days to be more sacred than others, while another person considers all days to be the same. Each person must have their own convictions. 6Someone who thinks that a day is sacred, thinks that way for the Lord. Those who eat, eat for the Lord, because they thank God. And those who don't eat, don't eat for the Lord, and they thank the Lord too. 7We don't live for ourselves and we don't die for ourselves. 8If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore whether we live or die, we belong to God.” We who are strong enough in faith to resist the temptation to eat bad food, we must welcome those who are of weak faith. We who are strong enough in faith to know that God is okay with eating whatever, we must welcome those who are of weaker faith, and limit themselves.

Paul is using that same selfishness that has the tendency to grasp all of us, and is manipulating it for the glory of God…

Paul is showing us how even people of weak faith can come to share a strong faith.

Before I was called to be the pastor for our congregation, I spent four months in an unpaid internship with the chaplain’s office at a hospital in Spartanburg. The program is called “Clinical Pastoral Education,” usually abbreviated “CPE.” The idea is that they throw you into intense situations, then you reflect on how you functioned pastorally. Ideally, you learn something so that you can be a better pastoral presence the next time you’re called out.

There’s also a pseudo-therapeutic portion to doing this kind of supervised ministry. Walking into crisis after crisis and responding with compassion can draw out anybody’s crazy. Our supervisor met with each of us individually a number of times so that we could talk through the stuff that bubbled up as we connected with so many people on their worst day. His job was to help us explore why we acted the way we did, to unpack how unconscious biases affected our behavior. He was meant to be a teacher, a guide.

Y’all know that I’m a big fan of the sovereignty of God. I’d rather talk about the greatness of God than the goodness of God. I want a God who is strong enough to save me, who is powerful enough to call into being things which are not, who raises the dead. My supervisor was not so much into that. A powerful God was not all that attractive to him, and during one of our sessions, he wondered if perhaps I needed a powerful God because at some point in my life, someone had taken away my power.

He was right. As soon as he said it, I knew what specific moment in my life connected with his wondering. It got me thinking, maybe I need for God to be strong because my faith is weak.

Scripture certainly points to a God who is powerful. God creates out of nothing, raises the dead, parts the seas, ruins and redeems nations, we could go on quoting chapter and verse of all the myriad passages that point to an all-powerful God. So if you’re like me and need a strong God, it’s not like you’re just making it up.

But it’s not just about believing that God is great, my supervisor’s point was that I need for God to be powerful. My life experience has taught me that I am not powerful, and so some defensive part of me needs for God to fill that role for me.

Examples if I had a strong faith, I wouldn't… instead I would be better at…

Maybe that's where you are as well. Maybe your faith is strong sometimes, and weak at others. After all, faith isn't an achievement, it's a process.

I’m grateful that there’s good news for folks like me, who have a strong call, but a weak faith. We will stand, not because of our strength, but because God ha the power to make us stand.

“9This is why Christ died and lived: so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 10But why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you look down on your brother or sister? We all will stand in front of the judgment seat of God. 11Because it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God. 12So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.”

That Time

That Time from Joseph Taber on Vimeo.


Romans 12:9-21
9Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 10love one another with mutual affection; but outdo one another in showing honor. 11Do not lag in Zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12Rejoice in hope be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. 13Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. 17Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. 18If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceable with all. 19Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

This is the Word of the LORD
Thanks be to God

Matthew 16:21-28
From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.! 23But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

24Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 26For what does it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?

27For the Son of Man is to come with his angels and the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. 28Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.

This is the Word of the LORD
Thanks be to God.

Who He Was (Preach It Again)

Isaiah 60:1-5, 19-21 
1Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you.
3Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
4Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.
5Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.

19The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you by night; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.
20Your sun shall no more go down, or your moon withdraw itself; for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.
21Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land for ever. They are the shoot that I planted, the work of my hands, so that I might be glorified.

This is the Word of the LORD
Thanks be to God

Luke 19:1-10
1He entered Jericho and was passing through it. 2A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. 5When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” 6So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. 7All who say it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” 8Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” 9Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

This is the Word of the LORD
Thanks be to God

How's That Working Out For You? (Preach It Again)

How's That Working Out for You? from Joseph Taber on Vimeo.


Acts 15:5-19
5Some of the believers from among the Pharisees stood up and claimed “The Gentiles must be circumcised. They must be required to keep the law of Moses.”

6The apostles and the elders gathered to consider this matter. 7After much debate, Peter stood and addressed them, “Fellow believers, you know that, early on, God chose me from among you as the one through whom the Gentiles would hear the word of the Gospel and come to believe. 8God, who know’s people’s deepest thoughts and desires, confirmed this by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. 9He made no distinction between us and them, but purified their deepest thoughts and desires though faith. 10Why then are you placing a burden on the shoulders of these disciples that neither we nor our ancestors could bear? 11On the contrary, we believe that we and they are saved in the same way, by the grace of the Lord Jesus.”

12The entire assembly fell quiet as they listened to Barnabas and Paul describe all the signs and wonders God did among the Gentiles through their activity. 13When Barnabas and Paul also fell silent, James responded, “Fellow believers, listen to me. 14Simon reported how, in his kindness, God came to the Gentiles in the first place, to raise up from them a people of God. 15The prophets agree with this; as it is written,
16After this I will return,
and I will rebuild David’s fallen tent;
I will rebuild what has been torn down.
I will restore it
17so that the rest of humanity will seek the Lord,
even all the Gentiles who belong to me.
The Lord says this, the one who does these things
18known from earliest times.
19Therefore, I conclude that we shouldn’t create problems for Gentiles who turn to God.

This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Jonah 4:1-11
1But Jonah thought this was utterly wrong, and he became angry. 2He prayed to the LORD, “Come on, LORD! Wasn’t this precisely my point when I was back in my own land? This is why I fled to Tarshish earlier! I know that you are a merciful and compassionate God, very patient, full of faithful love, and willing not to destroy. 3At this point, LORD, you may as well take my life from me, because it would be better for me to die than to live.”

4The LORD responded, “Is your anger a good thing?” 5But Jonah went out from the city and sat down east of the city. There he made himself a hut and sat under it, in the shade, to see what would happen to the city.

6Then the LORD God provided a shrub, and it grew up over Jonah, providing shade for his head and saving him from his misery. Jonah was very happy about the shrub. 7But God provided a worm the next day at dawn, and it attacked the shrub so that it died. 8Then as the sun rose God provided a dry east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint. He begged that he might die, saying, “It’s better for me to die than to live.”

9God said to Jonah, “Is your anger about the shrub a good thing?”
Jonah said, “Yes, my anger is good - even to the point of death!”

10But the LORD said, “You ‘pitied’ the shrub, for which you didn’t work and which you didn’t raise; it grew in a night and perished in a night. 11But for my part, can’t I pity Ninevah, that great city, in which there are more than one hundred twenty thousand people who can’t tell their right hand from their left, and also many animals?”

This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God