2007 October 21

Sunday School Class Proverbs 25:23-28 Angry, quarrelsome and dishonorable. 

Choruses:

· I will bless thee o Lord (F);

· Come bless the Lord (F);

· Where could I go (F);

· Drinking at the springs of living water (F);

· Such love (F);

scripture reading: #668

Sunday evening - The life of Christ chronologically in a 'harmony' of the Gospels. Luke 12:49-57 ...a distressed Jesus.

Wednesday Study Class 7-8 p.m. Developing a Biblically consistent world-view: How our ‘knowledge’ is shaped by cultural distinctions and values.

Make ready a people

Luke 1.1. Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2. just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.

3. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

4. so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. 5. In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.

6. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. 7. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.

8. Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9. he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

10. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. 11. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.

12. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13. But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.

14. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15. for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.

16. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God.

17. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

Destined and dead in his early thirties...no, I'm not talking about Jesus. While it could be said of Jesus, it could also be said of so many young people down through history.

Have you ever thought about being 'destined?' It's a subject with which philosophers and theologians have grappled for millennia.

If we are to take scripture at anything more than a collection of Jewish legends, we must acknowledge that scripture indicates Divine 'destiny' at least for a few folks.

Not every Biblical 'destiny' should be considered a pattern or mandate for anyone today. It should be understood that the Biblical design for 'destiny' was very particular and subjective. It was and is very personal and individual. It wasn't an overlaid pattern used multiple times.

Not that there wouldn't be similarities.

The Bible says that John (the Baptist) was "to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--" and yet it seems he died without having done that. At least we don't have any record of that kind of response to his preaching.

Was John the Baptist a failure?

Have you accomplished much or any of the stuff that you thought you would do with your life? What are the odds that those feelings of destiny you once had will actually happen now?

Wow, for most of us those are really, really depressing thoughts. I have enough feelings of inadequacy and failure without thinking that I've completely failed at my 'destiny.'

Maybe I have completely failed...that's one of the things that terrify me about the 'judgment.'

Perhaps John, while in prison questioning whether Jesus was really the One sent from God, also questioned whether he had wasted his own life - whether he had somehow been sidetracked and missed the whole point of his life.

Maybe he thought along those lines...I wouldn't doubt it, it would be human.

What I do know is that history has viewed John as the last of the Old Testament prophets and the greatest since Elijah.

Perhaps unknown to John and to us there were fathers who became loving to their children and perhaps there were foolish folks who turned to those who were wise...perhaps, we don't know.

Perhaps there are those who will say wonderful things of you - things that you had hoped for but believe fell far short of what could have/should have been.

Perhaps, but we can't get the opportunity to do it over, we only have now.

What's your destiny today?