August 18, 2019

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for August 18th: Isaiah 5:1-7, Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19, Hebrews 11:29-12:2, Luke 12:49-56: Theme: The signs of the times Luke: We all watch the craziness of the world on the news, but what is God telling us in the midst of what is happening? God is telling us that the more things change, the more things stay the same. People are the same as they have always been. God has been sending prophets to the world to help us to do differently, but we still do not listen. So God sent his only son to earth to help us to listen and to change. Jesus says that just as we can read nature, and know when it is going to be a sunny day, that we should be able to read the sign of the times. We will never be able to predict what will happen in the future, but Jesus has told us what the consequences of our actions are. We have to be more loving and more willing to listen to the voice of God – as a nation and as individuals. Hebrews: Hebrews is the book that teaches us the importance of faith. Without faith not only do we not have a future, but we also do not have a past. So Paul is going back in history to help the Isrealites remember all of the times that it was faith that helped them to get through a tough situation. We are all encouraged to be strengthened from this trip down memory lane. I think when we look at an unknown future, we can become discouraged and think that this time our faith is not enough to help us. Paul says that we can not only run the race in front of us, but we can win it. Our faith in is the miracle of Jesus Christ. And if it bought Jesus back to life, then it will help us to face an unknown future. Questions: What is your faith story? What challenges has Christ bought you through? What challenges do you face in the future? How do you deal with the stories of the news? What role does faith play in your life?