The Reward of Those Persecuted

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on Community

Matthew 5:11-16  (The Message)
 ¹¹"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light

 ¹³"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.  ¹⁴"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

For Reflection: Non-violence and non-retaliation are difficult enough, but, being grateful for acts of persecution against you is ... Well, you fill in the blank.  How we handle ourselves in times of challenge speaks volumes about how committed we are to God.

Pray that you are an example of all that a follower of Christ can be.  Pray that you can embrace the wisdom of your faith and judge your own deeds by the standards of goodness and truth found in Jesus.

The Endurance of Those Persecuted

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on Community

Luke 21:12-19 (The Message)


 ¹²"But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. ¹³This will result in your being witnesses to them. ¹⁴But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. ¹⁵For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. ¹⁶You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. ¹⁷All men will hate you because of me. ¹⁸But not a hair of your head will perish. ¹⁹By standing firm you will gain life.

For Reflection:
A southern California city, Rancho Cucamonga, has ordered a Friday night Bible study involving about fifteen people to shut down its meetings by Good Friday or members could face financial sanctions.  Or they could apply to purchase an expensive permit from the city government. The new case is similar to a dispute last week in Gilbert, Ariz., and another last year in San Diego County.  I don't know the details or have any understanding of the background of this issue.  It does make one wonder though.  The threat of persecution seems to be eternal.   According to the passages in Luke, though, we need not be afraid.  What do you think it is about Christ and the Way that strikes fear into the hearts of some?

Pray for courage in the face of conflict in the name of your Lord and Savior?  Pray that all that are persecuted in the name of Jesus are comforted.  Pray for the day when the Kingdom will be complete and persecution is no more.

Take Refuge in God

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on Community

Psalm 5

A David Psalm

 ^1-3 Listen, God! Please, pay attention! Can you make sense of these ramblings, my groans and cries? King-God, I need your help.
   Every morning
      you'll hear me at it again.
   Every morning
      I lay out the pieces of my life
      on your altar
      and watch for fire to descend.

 ^4-6 You don't socialize with Wicked,
      or invite Evil over as your houseguest.
   Hot-Air-Boaster collapses in front of you;
      you shake your head over Mischief-Maker.
   God destroys Lie-Speaker;
      Blood-Thirsty and Truth-Bender disgust you.

 ^7-8 And here I am, your invited guest—
      it's incredible!
   I enter your house; here I am,
      prostrate in your inner sanctum,
   Waiting for directions
      to get me safely through enemy lines.

 ^9-10 Every word they speak is a land mine;
      their lungs breathe out poison gas.
   Their throats are gaping graves,
      their tongues slick as mudslides.
   Pile on the guilt, God!
      Let their so-called wisdom wreck them.
   Kick them out! They've had their chance.

 ^11-12 But you'll welcome us with open arms
      when we run for cover to you.
   Let the party last all night!
      Stand guard over our celebration.
   You are famous, God, for welcoming God-seekers,
      for decking us out in delight.


For Reflection: To what extent are you as persistant at putting yourself at the mercy and will of God as the psalmist suggests?  Are you in awe of a righteous God who welcomes you to His table?  Do you recognize and reject the ungodliness around you? Do you celebrate in the hollow of God's hand?

Pray that you will always be at the will of God.  Celebrate the triumph of our Lord.

Members of God's Household

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on Community
Ruth 2:5-12 (The Message)
 ⁵ Boaz asked his young servant who was foreman over the farm hands, "Who is this young woman? Where did she come from?"
 ^6-7 The foreman said, "Why, that's the Moabite girl, the one who came with Naomi from the country of Moab. She asked permission. 'Let me glean,' she said, 'and gather among the sheaves following after your harvesters.' She's been at it steady ever since, from early morning until now, without so much as a break."
 ^8-9 Then Boaz spoke to Ruth: "Listen, my daughter. From now on don't go to any other field to glean—stay right here in this one. And stay close to my young women. Watch where they are harvesting and follow them. And don't worry about a thing; I've given orders to my servants not to harass you. When you get thirsty, feel free to go and drink from the water buckets that the servants have filled."
 ¹⁰ She dropped to her knees, then bowed her face to the ground. "How does this happen that you should pick me out and treat me so kindly—me, a foreigner?"
 ^11-12 Boaz answered her, "I've heard all about you—heard about the way you treated your mother-in-law after the death of her husband, and how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth and have come to live among a bunch of total strangers. God reward you well for what you've done—and with a generous bonus besides from God, to whom you've come seeking protection under his wings."

For Reflection:
Ruth's reputation preceded her.  She could have been just tolerated.  Perhaps, Boaz's  preferential treatment of her signified an acceptance far greater than she had expected.  That's the way it is in God's Kingdom.  Ruth was seen as worth accepting into the household and treated as any other household member.  Goodness, kindness, and steadfastness is always rewarded in the community of believers.

Pray that all those who act Godly will be recognized and in seeking the the Kingdom become accepted into the fold.

For All Peoples

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on Community

Ephesians 2:11-20 (The Message)

 ^11-13But don't take any of this for granted. It was only yesterday that you outsiders to God's ways had no idea of any of this, didn't know the first thing about the way God works, hadn't the faintest idea of Christ. You knew nothing of that rich history of God's covenants and promises in Israel, hadn't a clue about what God was doing in the world at large. Now because of Christ—dying that death, shedding that blood—you who were once out of it altogether are in on everything.
 ^14-15The Messiah has made things up between us so that we're now together on this, both non-Jewish outsiders and Jewish insiders. He tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance. He repealed the law code that had become so clogged with fine print and footnotes that it hindered more than it helped. Then he started over. Instead of continuing with two groups of people separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everybody.
 ^16-18Christ brought us together through his death on the cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility. Christ came and preached peace to you outsiders and peace to us insiders. He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father.
 ^19-22That's plain enough, isn't it? You're no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You're no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He's using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he's using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home. .
For Reflection:
Everyone wants to belong.  Being accepted is a very strong motivation.  I understand that kids as early as twelve are joining gangs.  How is it that an element as destructive as a life in a gang can be not only acceptable, but also, attractive?  As for me, I choose God's gang. How attractive are you and your brothers and sisters in Christ?

Pray that you and the church can provide attractive alternatives to those seeking spiritual fulfillment. Pray that those who find themselves in destructive intimate relationships will escape into salvation and a righteous life.

Wisdom from Above

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on Community
James 3:13-18 (The Message)
Live Well, Live Wisely

^13-16Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom. It's the furthest thing from wisdom—it's animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats.  ^17-18Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.

For Reflection:
When it comes down to it, all you have to offer is your reputation.  How are you known by others?  How do you think you are known by God?

Pray to live a holy life that overflows with mercy and blessing.  Pray to let the Grace of God flow through you.

Mercy Triumphs

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on Community
James 2:8-13 (The Message)

 ^8-11You do well when you complete the Royal Rule of the Scriptures: "Love others as you love yourself." But if you play up to these so-called important people, you go against the Rule and stand convicted by it. You can't pick and choose in these things, specializing in keeping one or two things in God's law and ignoring others. The same God who said, "Don't commit adultery," also said, "Don't murder." If you don't commit adultery but go ahead and murder, do you think your non-adultery will cancel out your murder? No, you're a murderer, period.  ^12-13Talk and act like a person expecting to be judged by the Rule that sets us free. For if you refuse to act kindly, you can hardly expect to be treated kindly. Kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time.

For Reflection:
Have you ever noticed how your first reaction is often times a negative one? The trouble is that the negative reaction initiates a negative response.  Often you say, " You shouldn't done that," or, "You should have..."  Maybe the person had a good reason for doing what he or she did.  Perhaps a question like, "Tell me more about that?" or, "How do you feel about that?" would help you to listen.  Or, "What might have happened if you would have...?" or, "What if they had said that to you?  How would you feel? " might get a person to evaluate his or her own action.  Being supportive is harder but more effective than being judgmental.

Pray that you become part of others solutions not just add to their problems.  Pray to be supportive of others and to avoid judgment.  Pray to listen before speaking.

Live Peaceably with All

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on Community
Romans 12:9-18 (The Message)
^9-10Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.  ^11-13Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.
 ^14-16Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody.
 ^17-19Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it."

For Reflection:

"Love from the center of who you are..." requires that you know who you are.  What does it mean to be a child of God, an inheritor of the Kingdom, protected, loved, with no fear of death, or for that matter -- life?  Read these verses frequently until they become a mirror image of who you are.

Pray for the patience courage and understanding to know and trust in who you are in the family of God.  Pray for others to find who they are in the Shepard's fold.

Family as Community

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on Community

Ruth 1:1-9 (The Message)
 ^1-2Once upon a time—it was back in the days when judges led Israel— there was a famine in the land. A man from Bethlehem in Judah left home to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The man's name was Elimelech; his wife's name was Naomi; his sons were named Mahlon and Kilion—all Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They all went to the country of Moab and settled there.  ^3-5 Elimelech died and Naomi was left, she and her two sons. The sons took Moabite wives; the name of the first was Orpah, the second Ruth. They lived there in Moab for the next ten years. But then the two brothers, Mahlon and Kilion, died. Now the woman was left without either her young men or her husband.

^6-7 One day she got herself together, she and her two daughters-in-law, to leave the country of Moab and set out for home; she had heard that God had been pleased to visit his people and give them food. And so she started out from the place she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law with her, on the road back to the land of Judah.
 ^8-9 After a short while on the road, Naomi told her two daughters-in-law, "Go back. Go home and live with your mothers. And may God treat you as graciously as you treated your deceased husbands and me. May God give each of you a new home and a new husband!" She kissed them and they cried openly.

For Reflection:

Perhaps the most intimate community to which we belong is family. It is not a community that we normally chose to join, but rather, one into which we are born.  It is a community that is by no means permanent.  Members die, marriages break up, employment calls the members away, and sometimes the family relationships become dysfunctional and the dysfunction forces separation. Naomi faces the need to discover new family relationships and sees her current predicament as an opportunity, however difficult, to find new communities and transform her family's brokenness into wholeness.  To what extent are you prepared for changes in your most intimate community?  To what extent are you prepared to embrace the opportunity of finding new intimate relationships?

Pray for the patience, persistence, initiative and flexibility to face changes in the collection of communities to which you belong

A Shared Love

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on Community
John 15:9-17 (The Message)

 ^9-10"I've loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at home in my love. That's what I've done—kept my Father's commands and made myself at home in his love.
 ^11-15"I've told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from the Father.
 ¹⁶"You didn't choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won't spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.
 ¹⁷"But remember the root command: Love one another.

For Reflection:

The community of the faithful is governed by a covenant of love.    This covenant asks us to love as we are loved by the Father.  To what extent have you made yourself at home in the Father's love?

Pray that your love of the Father will be so strong that His love will radiate through you.

A Shared Responsibility

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on CommunityRomans 14:13-21 (The Message)

 ^13-14Forget about deciding what's right for each other. Here's what you need to be concerned about: that you don't get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is. I'm convinced—Jesus convinced me!—that everything as it is in itself is holy. We, of course, by the way we treat it or talk about it, can contaminate it.
 ^15-16If you confuse others by making a big issue over what they eat or don't eat, you're no longer a companion with them in love, are you? These, remember, are persons for whom Christ died. Would you risk sending them to hell over an item in their diet? Don't you dare let a piece of God-blessed food become an occasion of soul-poisoning!
 ^17-18God's kingdom isn't a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness' sake. It's what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ. Do that and you'll kill two birds with one stone: pleasing the God above you and proving your worth to the people around you.
 ^19-21So let's agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don't drag them down by finding fault. You're certainly not going to permit an argument over what is served or not served at supper to wreck God's work among you, are you? I said it before and I'll say it again: All food is good, but it can turn bad if you use it badly, if you use it to trip others up and send them sprawling. When you sit down to a meal, your primary concern should not be to feed your own face but to share the life of Jesus. So be sensitive and courteous to the others who are eating. Don't eat or say or do things that might interfere with the free exchange of love.

For Reflection:  It is usually when we don't listen to each other that we get in each other's way.  We, at times, are so bent on deciding for the group what is right for another.  Kenneth Burke, said that man is rotten with perfection!  What is your standard of perfection?  How does that standard inhibit you from hearing the needs of others?

Pray for an open mind to hear the needs of others from their perspective.  Pray that you avoid assumptions that may inhibit your understanding

A Shared Reward

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on Community1 Samuel 30:21-31 (The Message)

 ²¹ Then David came to the two hundred who had been too tired to continue with him and had dropped out at the Brook Besor. They came out to welcome David and his band. As he came near he called out, "Success!"
 ²² But all the mean-spirited men who had marched with David, the rabble element, objected: "They didn't help in the rescue, they don't get any of the plunder we recovered. Each man can have his wife and children, but that's it. Take them and go!"
 ^23-25 "Families don't do this sort of thing! Oh no, my brothers!" said David as he broke up the argument. "You can't act this way with what God gave us! God kept us safe. He handed over the raiders who attacked us. Who would ever listen to this kind of talk? The share of the one who stays with the gear is the share of the one who fights—equal shares. Share and share alike!" From that day on, David made that the rule in Israel—and it still is.
 ^26-31 On returning to Ziklag, David sent portions of the plunder to the elders of Judah, his neighbors, with a note saying, "A gift from the plunder of God's enemies!" He sent them to the elders in Bethel, Ramoth Negev, Jattir, Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, Racal, Jerahmeelite cities, Kenite cities, Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athach, and Hebron, along with a number of other places David and his men went to from time to time.

For Reflection:
How many times have we read scripture where what seems fair and just under the commonsense wisdom of the day is redefined in the community of God's people?  All belongs to God and He distributes the wealth of His Kingdom as He sees fitting.  Living in the hollow of God's hand wipes away our need to conform to the current common perception of fairness and justice.  Rather, think about how you conform to the rule of love and grace -- the commonsense of the Kingdom.

Pray that you conform not to this world, but, rather to the Kingdom of God.  Pray to be able to recognize the difference.

A Shared Experience

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on Community
John 20:24-29 (The Message)

 ^24-25But Thomas, sometimes called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, "We saw the Master."    But he said, "Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won't believe it."
 ²⁶Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, "Peace to you."
 ²⁷Then he focused his attention on Thomas. "Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don't be unbelieving. Believe."
 ²⁸Thomas said, "My Master! My God!"
 ²⁹Jesus said, "So, you believe because you've seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing."

For Reflection:

One of the things that defines a community is shared experience.  Thomas confronts the disciples when they tell of their encounter with the Christ.  Thomas, not experiencing Christ as the others, must have felt left out.   He could not feel that he was a full member with out the experience others shared.  What shared experience draws you closer to the core of the community of believers?  What  shared experiences lead you to believe with out seeing?

Offer prayers of thanksgiving for the shared experience which binds you to the community of the faithful.

The Forgiveness of Sins

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on Community
Acts 26:12-18 (The Message)

 ^12-14"One day on my way to Damascus, armed as always with papers from the high priests authorizing my action, right in the middle of the day a blaze of light, light outshining the sun, poured out of the sky on me and my companions. Oh, King, it was so bright! We fell flat on our faces. Then I heard a voice in Hebrew: 'Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me? Why do you insist on going against the grain?'
 ^15-16"I said, 'Who are you, Master?'
   "The voice answered, 'I am Jesus, the One you're hunting down like an animal. But now, up on your feet—I have a job for you. I've handpicked you to be a servant and witness to what's happened today, and to what I am going to show you.
 ^17-18"'I'm sending you off to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see the difference between dark and light, and choose light, see the difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I'm sending you off to present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family, inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by believing in me.'
For Reflection:
It just doesn't seem right! Saul, a most active persecutor of Christians is selected.  How many believers in that day had bad mouthed Saul? Is there anything in these passages that indicate that Jesus passed judgment on Saul?  Jesus anoints Saul with a holy mission.  Think about how you interpret good and bad.  How does practicing Christianity affect your judgment?

Praise God for the the redemption of sins.  Pray that your sins, like Saul's, are redeemed in service to God.

In Christ We Have Redemption

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on Community
Ephesians 1:3-12

The God of Glory

 ^3-6How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.  ^7-10Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.
 ^11-12It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.

For Reflection:
Could there be any better news! Abundantly free from fear. Free to live the life God intended you to live. Transforming you from a child of this world to a child of God in this world.  Think about those things you fear.  Think about how you would face the world if those fears were removed.  What would you do differently?

Praise the living God. Offer prayers of thanksgiving for the gift of his Son. Pray for the strength to overcome fear and trust in the Lord.

The Lord Has Redeemed

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on Community
Isaiah 48:17-22

Your Progeny, Like Grains of Sand

 ^16-19And now, the Master, God, sends me and his Spirit
   with this Message from God,
   your Redeemer, The Holy of Israel:
"I am God, your God,
   who teaches you how to live right and well.
   I show you what to do, where to go.
If you had listened all along to what I told you,
   your life would have flowed full like a river,
   blessings rolling in like waves from the sea.
Children and grandchildren are like sand,
   your progeny like grains of sand.
There would be no end of them,
   no danger of losing touch with me."  ²⁰Get out of Babylon! Run from the Babylonians!
   Shout the news. Broadcast it.
Let the world know, the whole world.
   Tell them, "God redeemed his dear servant Jacob!"
 ²¹They weren't thirsty when he led them through the deserts.
   He made water pour out of the rock;
   he split the rock and the water gushed.
 ²²"There is no peace," says God, "for the wicked.

For Reflection:

"Get out of Babylon! Run from the Babylonians!"  What is our Babylon?  Who are our Babylonians?   Think about how you can live a righteous life in a contemporary culture?

Pray for the wisdom to discern the righteous life.  Pray for trust in the Lord.

Need for Redemption

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on Community
Isaiah 59:9-15 (The Message)


 ^9-11Which means that we're a far cry from fair dealing,
   and we're not even close to right living.
We long for light but sink into darkness,
   long for brightness but stumble through the night.
Like the blind, we inch along a wall,
   groping eyeless in the dark.
We shuffle our way in broad daylight,
   like the dead, but somehow walking.
We're no better off than bears, groaning,
   and no worse off than doves, moaning.
We look for justice—not a sign of it;
   for salvation—not so much as a hint.
 ^12-15Our wrongdoings pile up before you, God,
   our sins stand up and accuse us.
Our wrongdoings stare us down;
   we know in detail what we've done:
Mocking and denying God,
   not following our God,
Spreading false rumors, inciting sedition,
   pregnant with lies, muttering malice.
Justice is beaten back,
   Righteousness is banished to the sidelines,
Truth staggers down the street,
   Honesty is nowhere to be found,
Good is missing in action.
   Anyone renouncing evil is beaten and robbed.
 ^15-19God looked and saw evil looming on the horizon—
   so much evil and no sign of Justice.
He couldn't believe what he saw:
   not a soul around to correct this awful situation.
So he did it himself, took on the work of Salvation,
   fueled by his own Righteousness.
He dressed in Righteousness, put it on like a suit of armor,
   with Salvation on his head like a helmet,
Put on Judgment like an overcoat,
   and threw a cloak of Passion across his shoulders.
He'll make everyone pay for what they've done:
   fury for his foes, just deserts for his enemies.
   Even the far-off islands will get paid off in full.
In the west they'll fear the name of God,
   in the east they'll fear the glory of God,
For he'll arrive like a river in flood stage,
   whipped to a torrent by the wind of God.

For Reflection:
"Don't worry.  They'll get what they deserve!" Does that line console you?  Who are "THEY" anyway?  Certainly not you. What have you done to justify God's gift of Salvation? 

Pray to live in the light of God's grace.  Pray to life a God-centered life.

Great Power to Redeem

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on Community
Psalm 130

A Pilgrim Song

 ^1-2 Help, God—the bottom has fallen out of my life! Master, hear my cry for help!
   Listen hard! Open your ears!
      Listen to my cries for mercy.

 ^3-4 If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings,
      who would stand a chance?
   As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit,
      and that's why you're worshiped.

 ^5-6 I pray to God—my life a prayer—
      and wait for what he'll say and do.
   My life's on the line before God, my Lord,
      waiting and watching till morning,
      waiting and watching till morning.

 ^7-8 O Israel, wait and watch for God—
      with God's arrival comes love,
      with God's arrival comes generous redemption.
   No doubt about it—he'll redeem Israel,
      buy back Israel from captivity to sin.

For Reflection:
I got a coupon in the mail the other day.  It said, "Good for one cup of coffee."  I redeemed it.  I got one cup of coffee.  God has offered a coupon. "Good for forgiveness of sin. Unlimited."   I have redeemed the coupon often.  With his Son He has bought us back from captivity to sin.

What does it mean to live your life as a prayer?

Pray that you have patience to wait on the Lord morning after morning.  Pray to live your life as a prayer.

Mission Fulfilled

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on Community

Jonah 3:1-20(The Message)

Jonah Goes to Nineveh

 ¹ Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: ² "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you."  ³ Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city—a visit required three days. ⁴ On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned." ⁵ The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
 ⁶ When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. ⁷ Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh:
      "By the decree of the king and his nobles:
       Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. ⁸ But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. ⁹ Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish."
 ¹⁰ When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

For Reflection:
Well, how about that!  Fear seems to be one of mankind's most influential motives.  Did Jonah fear for his life?  Did Jonah fear failure in the eyes of others -- of God?  His fears were unfounded.  Would God send us on a mission doomed to failure? Hammer fear out of existence. God is with you.

Pray that you will go on God's mission with out fear.  Pray that you recognize your responses that are derived from fear.  Pray for courage.  Pray to be moved by love of and obedience to God.

New Found Courage

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on Community
Jonah 2:1-9

Jonah's Prayer
 ¹ From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. ² He said:
       "In my distress I called to the LORD,
       and he answered me.
       From the depths of the grave ^[a] I called for help,
       and you listened to my cry.  ³ You hurled me into the deep,
       into the very heart of the seas,
       and the currents swirled about me;
       all your waves and breakers
       swept over me.
 ⁴ I said, 'I have been banished
       from your sight;
       yet I will look again
       toward your holy temple.'
 ⁵ The engulfing waters threatened me, ^[b]
       the deep surrounded me;
       seaweed was wrapped around my head.
 ⁶ To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
       the earth beneath barred me in forever.
       But you brought my life up from the pit,
       O LORD my God.
 ⁷ "When my life was ebbing away,
       I remembered you, LORD,
       and my prayer rose to you,
       to your holy temple.
 ⁸ "Those who cling to worthless idols
       forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
 ⁹ But I, with a song of thanksgiving,
       will sacrifice to you.
       What I have vowed I will make good.
       Salvation comes from the LORD.".
For Reflection:
How many times have you turned to sleep to avoid facing the hard truths? Perhaps that's what Jonah did aboard the ship.  Jonah was already sorry for this weakness in response to God's call and accepted his fate--giving himself for the good of the crew.  Here he praises God and thanks Him for answering his prayer.  He has experienced the second chance grace. 

Pray that you sacrifice your self for God.  Sing a song of thanksgiving for His saving grace.  Vow to make good on your promises.

Rejecting God's Call

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on Community
Jonah 1:1-3 (The Message)

Jonah Flees From the LORD

 ¹ The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: ² "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."  ³ But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.
 ⁴ Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. ⁵ All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.
      But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. ⁶ The captain went to him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish."
 ⁷ Then the sailors said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity." They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.
 ⁸ So they asked him, "Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?"
 ⁹ He answered, "I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land."
 ¹⁰ This terrified them and they asked, "What have you done?" (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.)
 ¹¹ The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?"
 ¹² "Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you."
 ¹³ Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. ¹⁴ Then they cried to the LORD, "O LORD, please do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased." ¹⁵ Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. ¹⁶ At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.
 ¹⁷ But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.

For Reflection:
Many of those whom God has chosen have been reluctant.  Jonah is no exception.  What were the consequences of Jonah's action?  Think about Jonah's response to save the crew.  Think about the transformations that took place in the ship's crew.    All of our action, even reluctance, has utility to realize God's mission.

Pray that you will follow God's call.  Thank God for using your life even when you become an unwilling participant in His mission.

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on Community

Matthew 21:28-32 (The Message)

The Story of Two Sons

 ²⁸"Tell me what you think of this story: A man had two sons. He went up to the first and said, 'Son, go out for the day and work in the vineyard.'  ²⁹"The son answered, 'I don't want to.' Later on he thought better of it and went.
 ³⁰"The father gave the same command to the second son. He answered, 'Sure, glad to.' But he never went.
 ^31-32"Which of the two sons did what the father asked?"
   They said, "The first."
   Jesus said, "Yes, and I tell you that crooks and whores are going to precede you into God's kingdom. John came to you showing you the right road. You turned up your noses at him, but the crooks and whores believed him. Even when you saw their changed lives, you didn't care enough to change and believe him.
For Reflection:
I confess.  I have been both sons. How about you?  Think of a time when you have given a commitment but never carried through.  Think of a time when you have been reluctant to commit but then gave it your all. Don't feel too bad, I don't think anyone is keeping score.  In the community of believers there are unlimited chances and unfailing grace.

Pray that you participate fully in God's Mission for His people.