Today's Word
You are welcome to use the writings on these pages or pass them on to others who might find a touch from God in the words. Our purpose is always to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world. Please remember to give credit to the Author who has given you everything, and keep in remembrance the vessel which He used to bring these words to you. We pray that this site may be a blessing to you and anyone with whom its been shared. All rights reserved. Peggy Hoppes
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Our Lord is so good, He grants us many blessings. We can see Him in the daily course of events, in our homes, our jobs, our lives. I pray that these words help you to grow in your faith and recognize His hand in even the most mundane circumstances.
The picture to the right is of a Celtic Chapel located in Cornwall England. This building is approximately 1700 years old, and contains a holy well known for its healing powers.
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Scriptures for Sunday, July 12, 2009: Amos 7:7-15; Psalm 85:8-13; Ephesians 1:3-14; Mark 6:30-34, 53:56
Psalm 85:8-13 I will hear what God Jehovah will speak; For he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: But let them not turn again to folly. Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him, That glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth are met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth springeth out of the earth; And righteousness hath looked down from heaven. Yea, Jehovah will give that which is good; And our land shall yield its increase. Righteousness shall go before him, And shall make his footsteps a way to walk in.
Since Independence Day falls on a Saturday this year, many people have been given an extra day off this weekend. Some people even lucked out with a four day weekend, which gives them plenty of time to party. The celebrations are kicking off early, with some activities happening today. A neighboring town even began their carnival yesterday, with the major festivities including a parade, planned for tomorrow. I’m sure some people will even be planning events for Sunday. The holiday is a great excuse for people to get together and have fun.
I think the best type of celebration is the kind where family and friends gather together for a pot luck picnic. Pot lucks are great fun because everyone brings in their best dishes. We get to enjoy Aunt Marge’s potato salad and Grandma’s fire roasted chili stew. Hot dogs taste especially good grilled by neighbor Fred on his state of the art grill and the fresh tomatoes hand picked that morning from Sam’s garden are quite a treat. My mouth is watering as I think about the cool, crisp, sweet watermelon and the hot gooey marshmallows toasted over the charcoal and squished between chocolate and graham crackers into s’mores.
Ok, now I’m hungry for all those yummy picnic treats. The point of this writing is that this type of celebration brings together the best of all worlds. It might be fun to go to a party where someone does all the work, and I have to admit that I enjoy hosting that kind of party. But the pot luck picnic is something special. It is a gathering of food from all over the world; salads with incredible combinations that might not be planned together are piled high on paper plates until no one can eat any more. The deserts are tremendous, sinfully delicious. I think that the family gatherings in the summer are less stressed than those around the holidays. I’m not sure why, perhaps it has to do with the good weather: the gathering can take place outside where people can stretch and play. Games of volleyball or badminton bring riotous giggles heard throughout the neighborhood. These are good times.
The psalmist also speaks of good times. Look at the wonderful things God is going to do. This passage is a potluck of God’s grace! Salvation, glory, mercy and truth, righteousness and peace all come together in God’s kingdom. Thanks to God’s goodness, His people will prosper. He establishes the way of righteousness for them. This is truly something to celebrate.
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Scriptures for Sunday, July 12, 2009: Amos 7:7-15; Psalm 85:8-13; Ephesians 1:3-14; Mark 6:30-34, 53:56
Amos 7:7-15 Thus he showed me: and, behold, the Lord stood beside a wall made by a plumb-line, with a plumb-line in his hand. And Jehovah said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumb-line. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumb-line in the midst of my people Israel; I will not again pass by them any more; and the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword. Then Amaziah the priest of Beth-el sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land. Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thou away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: but prophesy not again any more at Beth-el; for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a royal house. Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was a herdsman, and a dresser of sycomore-trees: and Jehovah took me from following the flock, and Jehovah said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.
Anyone who has done any home improvement have probably used a tool called a plumb line. This is a very simple tool, used for millennia, to find the vertical line. It is especially helpful for building walls because it helps to keep the walls straight. A plumb line is simply a weight tied to the end of a light string. The string is held at the top of the vertical and the weight is allowed to swing free until it stops. At that point, the line points directly to the center of the earth. All lines established from the plumb line will be parallel and the wall will be straight.
Anyone can make a plumb line by tying a weight onto a piece of string, although it is helpful to purchase a manufactured line since the wrong weight and string could skew the line. I found a plumb line at a tool site on the Internet for just $2.99, a well-spent few dollars to ensure a straight wall. Amazingly, I also found some laser plumb lines for two to three hundred dollars. The laser plumb lines do exactly the same job as the cheap weight on a string. It does have an out-of-level alert that you don’t have with the string, but then the string does naturally what the electronic version does electronically. In other words, there’s room for error with the laser plumb line. The laser tool will also break: batteries die, lights fade, tools need to be recalibrated from time to time. The weight on a string might break, but it is easily, and cheaply, replaced. Sometimes simple is better.
The plumb line is an important tool when building a wall. It is very easy for a brick worker to set a wall that leans. It only takes a fraction of an inch on each level of brick for the wall to eventually topple. A level will help each row of bricks lay even, but the plumb line is also necessary so that they are stacked directly on top of one another. Why is it that important? Every wall is dependent on every other wall. Everything inside is dependent on the walls being straight. The windows and doors will not fit properly if the walls lean. A leaning wall will not stand very long. Isn’t it amazing that a simple $3.00 tool can be so important?
Amos had words for the king that the king and the people did not want to hear. Their time was short. They’d disobeyed the Lord and He was about to take matters into His own hands. They were leaning like a poorly built wall. The Lord promised to send a plumb line to measure His people, to see how well they stood. Now, the Lord could have chosen a powerful man, an educated man, a gifted man. Instead, He chose Amos, who tells us that he takes care of sheep and sycamore trees. What does he know about politics? What does he know about religion? What does he know about the future?
Of course the king would argue with a prophet who foretells his demise and the destruction of his people. Of course they would question whether Amos can really say these things. He was just a simple shepherd. But that’s exactly why he was chosen to take this message, a message he really didn’t want to take. As a matter of fact, our passage today is the third vision. Amos convinced the Lord to relent from the first two. Finally, the Lord showed Amos a plumb line, meant to show Israel that they were out of whack. A leaning wall must be destroyed and rebuilt. Amos was that plumb line, the one being sent to the people to warn them of what is to come.
The following links provide some specially chosen scripture that tell the stories of the Birth and Passion of our Lord as Saviour Jesus Christ, as well as a fictional perspective of the Crucifixion. Spend time in God's Word, read about His life and learn of the wonderful gifts He has for you. Know Jesus Christ and honour Him today. Thanks be to God.
The Story of our Saviour's Passion
The Crucifixion, a fictional perspective
Scripture on this page taken from the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible which belongs to the public domain. Some scripture on this site taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
As you may be aware, I also write a weekly devotional on Wednesday called "MIDWEEK OASIS." For those of you who are familiar with lectionary scripture sources, MIDWEEK OASIS is based on the texts used by millions of Christians each Sunday. The lectionary consists of four texts – an Old Testament passage, a Psalm, a passage from one of the Epistles and a Gospel text. We are now using the lectionary for our A WORD FOR TODAY texts. The way it works: Our week begins on Thursday, with our texts being those that will be used on the Sunday ten days out. Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday we look at each of the texts – an Old Testament lesson, a Psalm, an epistle and a Gospel text, in no particular order. On Wednesday, we'll look at how these texts fit together, how they fit into the church calendar and how they fit into our lives. I use the Revised Common Lectionary as used by the Lutheran Church.
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You are welcome to use these words to share the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. Please remember to give credit to the Author who has given you these gifts, and keep in remembrance the vessel which He used to bring them to you. We pray that this site may be a blessing to you and anyone with whom you've shared it. Peggy Hoppes
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