Read about how UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) is helping in Chile.

Come aboard for an amazing time at this year’s Bible school!  You can register, volunteer and find out more information about High Seas Expedition at Elm Springs United Methodist Church.

http://www.groupvbspro.com/vbs/ez/elmsprings

http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/

Last week we looked at a profile of a lukewarm person and compared it to what the bible says Jesus asks of his followers. It’s like the rich young man who came to Jesus and said, “Jesus, I’ve followed all the commandments, what else must I do to inherit the Kingdom of heaven?” Jesus reply was that he should sell all of his stuff and follow him. But the young man won’t, so he goes away sad. What about you? Can you give up all that you have to follow Christ? Grace may be free, but it’s also a very costly thing. It costs us everything. Jesus sasy that if we want to be his followers, we must “pick up our cross daily, and follow him.” Or to modernize it, “pick up your leathel injection, your hand gun, your electric chair, or other death device, and follow me, because this will cost you your life.”

This next week we’re going to look at the fifth chapter, where Chan says it is impossible to be a “lukewarm” Christian.

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Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinner or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. HE IS LIKE A TREE PLANTED BY STREAMS OF WATER, WHICH YEILDS ITS FRUIT IN SEASON AND WHOSE LEAF DOES NOT WITHER. Whatever he does prospers.

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 ¹The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. ²Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death. Isaiah 57:1-2

 Then & There: Isaiah is a prophet, meaning God speaks through him to His people. Isaiah writes and speaks to Judah, the southern kingdom of Israelites, during the Assyrian captivity of their northern brothers Israel. Assyria also lay siege to Jerusalem, the holy city for both the northern and southern kingdoms. As they are watching their northern brothers being taken into captivity, God’s main message is this attack was judgment because they, as a people, had turned their back on Him. It was a warning of the coming judgment for the Judah. However, this little caveat is saying that there were a few righteous people, who were a part of the captive Israel. They were suffering all kinds of injustice while the evil men could do whatever they liked. But death, rather than being a punishment as some thought it to be, was a relief and escape from that injustice and evil.

Here & Now: For today, this passage means that while injustice is everywhere, and as a people often turn away from God, there are still a few righteous mixed in there. They suffer injustice undeservingly, but in death, they find relief from the injustice of this world. Thomas Culp experienced an untimely death and will be missed by many, but this passage is one of hope. Rather than death being a punished, he is experiencing relief and escape from injustice and evil. And while he will be missed and we should definitely allow ourselves to grieve his loss, we should also be glad to know that he no longer has to deal with the fallenness of our world.

 What are your thoughts?