Today's Verse: Hebrews 2:9 (NIV)
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

The ideas for this commentary are taken from The Bible Exposition Commentary. Although man was created lower than the angels and Christ, who became incarnate as both God and man, suffered so that we might be redeemed, God never promised angels that they would rule in the world to come. Christ was. And under His redemption, we will share in His kingdom.

Today's Comments: Man, however, when he disobeyed God, lost his right to rule in the world, which at that time was the Garden of Eden. It is the fact that Christ experienced death for every man that will one day allow us to return to the honor that God bestowed upon us, when we were created. And, while angels cannot die, they cannot save lost sinners. Only Christ who died can do that, and He has.

Blessings and Curses

Today's Verses: Isaiah 1:19-20 (NIV)
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best from the land;
20 but if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword."
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

The prophet Isaiah addresses a nation that will enter into diaspora when the Jews see their exile in Babylon. The Lord offers forgiveness to the repentant but punishment to the unrepentant.

Today's Comments: As some of you know, I use the daily feeds from prosperity gospelers Ken and Gloria Copeland to find my verses. Sometimes, like today, I have to add a verse or two so that I can bring them into contemporary understanding. The Copelands discussed only verse 19, inferring that by our obedience we should be able to claim the blessings of God. While this may be considered by some as a reasonable application, the context of this section means so much more when one considers the rampant disobedience by God's chosen people. I don't think that God is going to shower down riches just for being obedient. Instead, he uses His power to teach us His righteousness, which we can never achieve without His grace and forgiveness through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. While we should claim the many blessings that He gives to us, I believe that we must also accept the lessons that He teaches us and the corrections that He prescribes for us. It is through our own sorrow that we often understand joy; it is through our own injustice that we often understand justice; and it is through our own disobedience that we often understand obedience. Finally, I also believe that is is through our own hate, we often find what it means to love. But all of these things are not achieved on our own. For, as the second part of today's verses implies, it is through our repentance that we are able to find joy, justice, obedience, and love.

The Value of a Friend

Today's Verses: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NIV)

9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
10 If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

God not only created us to love Him, but he also created us to love each other.

Today's Comments:

There is no question in my mind that we were made for each other. Lately, my friend Greg and I have been discussing theology via email. Greg is Roman Catholic. Our more recent emails have been discussing the church. And reading this verse, I am reminded especially that the church is a major element in the social order that God created. While Greg and I disagree with respect to functional aspects (the Roman Catholics suggest that the church is the final authority with respect to the interpretation of scripture, while the Protestants view the church as the vehicle through which teaching occurs and scripture interprets itself), there is no question that God created the church so that we could worship Him and learn about Him together.

Some, like my ex-girlfriend, sometimes argue that the church has so corrupted itself that one should be able to take it or leave it. But I cannot agree. The Israelites became so apostatized that maybe God should have abandoned them, too, but He did not. They were created for a purpose, and the Church was created for a purpose: to be a community of believers who, in unity, lift each other up, keep each other safe, and under God's protective umbrella, defend each other from the power of evil .

Fair Weather Christians

Today's Verse: John 6:63-66 (NIV) ---
63 "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him." 66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

The interesting thing about this verse is that out of many who followed him, only the twelve remained, after He said these words.

Today's Comments: I suppose that in Jesus day, people weren't much different than they are now. From today's verse, it sounds like Jesus was a pretty popular guy for a while. He had many who called themselves "disciples." But in the end, it was only the twelve who understood that He was the "Holy One of God." Without the ability given to man by God, we would not be able to become saved Christians. It is only through God's grace that we can receive salvation and eternal life.

Because of recent happenings, I have been asking myself, "if I were not a Christian, instead would I be one of those waiting in line on Hollywood Blvd. to pay homage to Michael Jackson's star?" It seems like they have their god, and I have mine. I rejoice in my good fortune.

Today's Verse: Proverbs 17:14 (NIV) - Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out. The Old Testament Survey Series: The Wisdom Literature and the Psalms states the following:

The contentious (17:14). “He who releases water [so is] the beginning of strife; therefore before it bursts forth, abandon the contention.” A quarrel begins like a small hole in a dam, letting out a tiny trickle. If it is not stopped immediately, the hole is enlarged and a flood pours forth. If one senses irritation and agitation, that is the time to break off the activity before the contention bursts forth.

Smith, James E.: The Wisdom Literature and Psalms. Joplin, Mo. : College Press Pub. Co., 1996, S. Pr 17:10-15

Today's Comments: Boy, is the dam about to burst in the Episcopal Church. By the time that the July convention is over, I would suspect that the Episcopal Church will have officially authorized the blessing of same sex unions and will have redefined marriage as a union between two persons, not necessarily of different sexes. The impact of this quarrelsome action will be like the dam bursting. Its impact may eventually shatter the relationship between provinces in the Anglican Communion, with England and Europe being on one side and Africa and the Global South on the other. In our own small parish, it is causing some to leave because they cannot stand to have any affiliation whatsoever with the Episcopal Church. As I have said before, I am ready to follow Father David, wherever he may decided to go. Right now, I serve in the Episcopal Church. After convention, only God knows, right now.

Today's Verse: Proverbs 18:21 (NIV) - The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. I don't think that this verse requires much explanation except that it is a part of of a group of wise sayings to which we should pay attention.

Today's Comments: James also discussed the power of the tongue in his epistle. A Handbook on Proverbs suggests that this phrase literally means that the consequences of using the tongue could mean the life or death of someone. It also suggests that "those who love it" refer to people who love to talk or express their opinion and that they will face the consequences of what they say. The Good News Bible translates this phrase in today's language as:

Proverbs 18:21 (GNT) - What you say can preserve life or destroy it; so you must accept the consequences of your words.

So, it looks like whoever said. "sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never hurt you" never read his or her Bible.

Today's Verse: Numbers 13:33 (NIV) - We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” After the spies went out to reconnoiter the land of Canaan, they tried to turn the Israelites against launching an attack by instilling fear into them.

Today's Comments: It is interesting to read information about this race of giants. Wikipedia provides what appears to be a fairly decent explanation about them. There is also a U-Tube video that sites evidence for them. Part 2 of this video is also available on U-Tube. While accuracy of this information is definitely questionable, it certainly is interesting, especially to science fiction fans like me. And there are some great shots of some old movies, as well.

In any case, it was not just the fear of these great beings, but it was the purposeful deception that the spies went to that angered God and placed the Israelites in their forty year exile, to wander until a new generation would cross over the River Jordan into the land of milk and honey that God gave to them. And it would be the great king David, who as a shepherd boy with a sling, would slay the last of those giants, Goliath, and whose line would survive, as God promised, when the prophets foretold the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Today's Verses: Luke 6:38 (NIV) - Jesus said, 38 "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” The context of this verse is judging. The Pulpit Commentary suggests that the overriding characteristics of those who follow Christ should be kindness and generosity to all, without judgment.

Today's Comments: This is a big one for the prosperity gospelers. Ken Copeland, for example, would cite this passage as a recommendation to give to his cause. On the other hand, Jesus was speaking here in term of not only monetary goods. He was also speaking of time, talent, and especially love. Rather than judge your neighbor, be generous and help him. He is talking about a giving attitude. In my opinion, one can give a lot of money to a lot of causes, but that doesn't mean that he has a giving attitude, if he turns around and hates his brother or slanders his neighbors. It is giving in love that we must learn, and then we will be rewarded in love.

Today's Verses: Proverbs 4:7-8 (NIV)

7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.

Though it cost all you have, a get understanding.

8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you;

embrace her, and she will honor you.

a Or Whatever else you get

In this section, the father is passing on sound teaching to his children the sound advice that his father passed on to him.

Today's Comments: Learning wisdom and understanding is an important part of our education. Each of us has teachers and mentors who have brought us up to the point where we are in both our secular and religious knowledge. The disciples had their teacher, Jesus, and we have our mentors and scripture to help us obtain an understanding of God.

Today's lessons at church were about teaching and gaining that knowledge and understanding that we need in our lives. In particular, they were centered around Mark, Chapter 4, where the disciples and their master were in a boat during a great storm. The readings were:

Job 38:1-11;16-18;
Psalm 107:1-3; 23-32;
2 Corinthians 5:14-21;
Mark 4:35-41

The sermon that is preached at the 8 AM service follows. I made some minor changes at the suggestion of Fr. David, my pastor, for the 10 AM service. Send me an email (steve.sterry@gmail.com), and I will email you a copy.

What stands out most when I read the Gospel for today is that out of fear, Jesus’ disciples, all of a sudden, find themselves in extreme danger. Instead of waking Jesus and trusting him with their fears of losing their lives in the storm, they emotionally act out of fear and ignorance by chastising their master for ignoring their needs: "Teacher,” they exclaim, “don't you care if we drown?".

This is their reaction to their troubles of the moment. Isn’t this sometimes the same reaction that you and I have to our problems? “Why, God, is this happening to me?” We cry out. “I am caught up in this storm and you ignore me.”

The disciples have not yet realized that their master is the Messiah, the one about who the Old Testament prophets speak and write. And, at this moment, unknown to the disciples, those prophesies are being fulfilled in front of their very eyes. Up to this point, Jesus has been their teacher. But now, the disciples’ view of Him is about to be elevated; and this is just one of many steps that these men will take in their journey along the way to learning and recognizing who this teacher, Jesus, really is.

So, are we much different from those disciples? God is taking us on a journey; and along the way, we learn more about Him and ourselves as we mature in our relationship with Him. Instead of being in the boat with Jesus, we are at Blessed Sacrament learning about God through the Word which he has revealed to us in the Gospel and in scripture. And, yet, in our own immaturity, we are still too often concerned about our own worldly trials and tribulations, failing to remember that we can ask Jesus for help, and not realizing that sometimes, only He has the power to quiet the waves and still the winds in our lives. “Quiet! Be still,” He says, and like the winds and the waves surrounding that boat, so long ago, He will bring calm to our lives, but only if we ask.

And like the reply to the disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” We also are admonished for our failure to keep faith in him. As Jesus reminds His disciples, the Gospel also reminds us that this same Jesus, who the wind and waves obey, is the one who gives meaning to our being, purpose to our living, and salvation to our souls.

In the Old Testament lesson for today, like the disciples, Job is reminded of the great Power of God. And like Job, we cannot be expected to comprehend why God does things the way that He does. Job can only kneel before His Creator in awe and admiration and pray that his losses are restored and that his relationship with God is healed. And we, as the psalm tells us, can cry out to the Lord in our trouble, and He will hear us and shelter us from the storms of our distress. We are able to ask for God’s guidance and help, because, as the Epistle tells us, God has reconciled His creation to Himself through Jesus Christ, despite our sinful nature, and despite the selfishness that causes us to blame God or others for our own problems.

It is plain to me that God does not want us to drown. I think that Jesus was teaching the disciples a valuable lesson, when they found Him asleep at the tiller. I believe that he used their reactions, which were out of fear, to remind them that all they needed to do was to call upon Him in their adversity, and He would hear them. And this storm was just the beginning. If we follow the chronology of the Gospels, this was early on in Jesus’ ministry, the twelve were newly appointed as disciples, and this was just one of many lessons in their training. If they were going to go out to teach and preach the Word in the world, they had to understand who this Jesus really was and the trials and tribulations that they would have to face. For most of them, it would not be until after the Resurrection that they would truly realize who Jesus was. Now, they were being tested and built up so that they would eventually be able to partake in the greatest ministry of all time: one that would change the world forever.

As I said, we are not much different from those disciples. We too have our doubts and fears. We too are faced with real problems in this world, including a current economic recession, the likes of which most of us have never seen in our lifetimes. We also watch our mother church drowning herself in a sea of apostasy, knowing and understanding that actions which we read about and understand in the Bible as attributable to our sinful nature are being touted by well-meaning bishops and priests as being excusable because of what they errantly insist are God given attributes. Isn’t it funny, but like the disciples in that boat, they too are, in effect, blaming God for their problems, as well, instead of accepting the fact that it is man’s sinful nature that is influencing them and has created this storm of apostasy which is breaking up the church.

But, should we believe that God is going to let them drown? I don’t think so, at least not yet. In His own time, God will teach them their lesson and will bring them to corrective action and repentance, just as he has done so many times in the past with both Jews and Gentiles. And so, we must put our trust in God that He will do just that.

I think, also, there is a personal lesson to be learned here at Blessed Sacrament from the readings, today. We are reminded of the lesson that Job learned. It is a lesson which tells us that God sets the standards, and we might not necessarily know why. It is a standard which says that we should love the Lord our God with all our heart, strength, mind, and soul and love our neighbor as ourselves. It is a standard which we cannot meet except by God given grace and the sacrifice that our Lord Jesus Christ made on the cross for the atonement of our sins.

A few of us at Blessed Sacrament, especially, seem to be feeling the storm inside our church right now. There is a lot of dialog going on about and between the three groups of Christians who are attending services here. I am reminded that, from a practical prospective, these groups have been attending and worshiping at services together for a long time before they became visibly defined by their theologies. At the same time, I am also reminded about the divisions in the Church at Corinth, when I hear concerns from and about members of these three Christians groups. In his first epistle to the Corinthians, Chapter 1, verse 10, Paul writes:

¹⁰I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. ¹¹My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. ¹²What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas[a]"; still another, "I follow Christ."

After reminding the church that Jesus, who died on the Cross, is the one about who they preach, Paul tries to resolve the problem by reminding them, beginning at Verse 26:

²⁶Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹so that no one may boast before him. ³⁰It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. ³¹Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."[d]

Here at Blessed Sacrament, some of us are Episcopalian, some of us are, or soon will be, Anglican, and some of us are or will be Roman Catholic. But, the reality is that we still all follow the same Christ. We are no different than those on the boat that night in the midst of that great storm. We are no different than Job, who recognized that it is God who does things for His own purposes and thereby teaches us what it means to be righteous on His terms. Our epistle for today does not tell us that we are Christ’s Ambassadors as Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, or Anglicans. It tells us that we are members of the Christian community at Blessed Sacrament who are Ambassadors to Placentia, to Orange County, and to the world. We are implored to be reconciled to God. And if we are reconciled to God, we must also be reconciled to each other.

So, rather than be dependent upon ourselves and reacting on our own to the storm which surrounds us, let us together recognize that we are Christians, first, who need to put aside our own fears and trust that the Lord is leading us in the right direction, and so that, in Christ, the storms of our lives may be calmed and we might be reconciled to God and become, as the epistle states, the righteousness of God.

Let us now pray together Prayer #14 on Page 818 of the Book of Common Prayer and in our hearts ask for the strengthening and unity of our own community of worshiping Christians, as well as for healing in the Christian Church at large.

O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Today's Verses: 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 (NIV) - 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Paul describes the attributes of love and writes that there is nothing without love.

Today's Comments: I think that it is important to remember that both the Old and New Testaments base their understanding of God's Commandments on the simple concepts of loving God and neighbor. Deuteronomy 6 exhorts: "4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. [a] 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Leviticus 19:18 instructs: 18 " 'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD." In Luke 10:27, Jesus puts these two instructions together and summarizes God's commandments in one simple sentence: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[a]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[b]" It is obvious that, without love, there is no true obedience to God, nor can one properly worship God. Love is where faith and wisdom begin. It is what Jesus modeled when He came to live among mankind.

Today's Verses: 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NIV) - 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. This verse suggests that Satan has blinded the eyes of unbelievers.

Today's Comments: Has Satan also blinded the eyes of those who believe and yet continue to participate in actions which appear to be contrary to the Bible (homosexual acts, for example)? I am in the middle of writing a sermon, and I woke up at 2:45 this morning and could not get back to sleep. The sermon, from the Book of Mark, describes the actions of Jesus disciples in the boat during a storm. Instead of waking Him up and asking Him to save them, they accuse Jesus of allowing them to drown. They are about to get an eye opening lesson from Him, when he calms the storm with His word. It is, I think, reading His word that allows us to open our eyes. I suspect that God gives us enough of His grace to allow us to take that leap of faith. Then, he gives us free choice to make that leap. But, in the end, it is only because of him that our eyes are opened. We cannot do it without His grace.

Today's Verse: Isaiah 55:11 (NIV) --- so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Whatever God declares will come to pass.

Today's Comments: The Word of God is absolute truth. God is immutable; what He declares does not change. We can't change God. We can only change ourselves. And, we can only truly change ourselves with the gift of His grace. To think anything else is foolish.

I can't help but think about the current delusional attitude of the Episcopal Church in the United States. On Oprah, a priest, who I believe was Ed Bacon, the rector at All Saints in Pasadena, proclaimed that homosexuality was a gift from God. Paul, in fact tells us that, because of man's separation from God that began at the fall of Adam, we have been deluded by our own corruption into committing unnatural acts because of unnatural lusts. A gift from God? No. Homosexuality, in my mind, is the result of our own depravity. Should we ignore Paul and listen to Ed Bacon? I don't think so. The Bible is God's word that is revealed to us. We should not ignore it, because, eventually, what God says will come to pass.

Today's Verse: 1 Peter 5:6 (NIV)--- Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. According to the Bible Readers' Companion, we can only grow in knowledge of God, if we humble ourselves and remain dependent upon him.

Today's Comments: Submission, or humbling oneself, means that, instead of thinking of ourselves, first, we think of God, first, others, second, and then ourselves, last. And, we become submissive to others by being submissive to God. We cannot have a relationship with God, when we are guided by our own pride and arrogance. Once we submit to Him, then He will lift us up, when we are ready. Through His grace, we will be given the ability to do the good works that will glorify Him. It is then that we can find peace in Him and with ourselves.

Today's Verse: Psalm 127:1 (NIV) Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. While most people would not recognize Solomon as a prophet, this verse that he wrote is prophecy concerning the temple that he built.

Today's Comments: Soon after Solomon passed on, his kingdom was split in two. The beautiful city that his father, David, had built, and the wonderful temple that Solomon completed, were eventually torn apart. While the Lord built His house, He abandoned it in the apostasy of His chosen people. The history of the Temple should be a lesson to us in this country. The further away we distance ourselves from God, the less protection can we expect from Him. The further that our churches move away from God and His word, the less can we expect that this one nation, under God can stand up against the forces of its foes.

Today's Verse: Mark 4:24 (NIV) “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more." The Word of God is meant to be used. It is not meant to be hidden from our lives.

Today's Comments: This particular verse is part of the parable of the lamp stands. Nobody uses a lamp or a light unless they are in the process of illuminating something. As the parable states, nobody is going to hide the lamp stand under the bed. Light is meant to be used, and so is the Word of God. So, let your light so shine before all men that they may see your good works and glorify your father, who is in Heaven (Matthew 5:16).

Today's Verse: 1 John 5:5 (NIV): Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. What does overcoming the world mean? If we are in the world and do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God, then we are doomed to judgment in the world by God. If we truly believe and accept in our hearts that Jesus is the Son of God, then we are rewarded with eternal life.

Today's Comments: Man was created to have a personal relationship with God. And it is through our relationship in obedience to God's will that we are rewarded. Building our relationship with God is not easy. It requires work on our part. But without God's grace, our work does not yield a thing. I think that is a major difference between being subject to the world and overcoming the world. If we are subject to the world, then we make our own bed, so to speak. We do worldly things and are rewarded only with worldly things that will pass out of existence with our death. On the other hand, if we accept God's grace and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, then the grace of God works in our hearts to help us become obedient to His will. And we are rewarded forever.

Today's Verse: Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Col 3:2
Paul is encouraging us to change our attitude. Instead of grounding ourselves in earthly matters, we must look to God for strength and guidance.

Today's Comments: How easy is it to go with the flow? We spend so much of our lives dealing with material things that we too often forget about what really matters--- God. We were created for His pleasure, not ours. He is the object of our worship and we are the objects of His love. We were created to be in relationship with Him. If we focus too much on material and earthly things, we fail to maintain that relationship.

Today's Verses: 5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. 2 Jn 5-6

John, here, is talking about obedience, and that obedience is manifested in love, in accordance with the second great commandment.

Today's Comments: If we are obedient to God in Christ, then we will love one another. It is clear that if we cannot walk in love, we do not have a right relationship with God. We cannot love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, or strength, if we cannot love our neighbor. Faith, hope, and love, is what Paul talks about in his first letter to the Corinthians. And love is the greatest. Because, without love, we cannot have faith or hope.

Today's Verse: ⁷ To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. 2 Co 12:7
Paul may be referring to an issue that humbles his spiritual pride that might surface because of his elevated status in the church. Whatever that thorn is, it affected his ministry, and from his statement, one must assume that that affect is allowed or is intended by God.

Today's Comments: I wonder if too much theology might be the thorn in our side. Last night, in an email to a friend from church, I send my comments about denominationalism:

What we really have in common is the Bible. I think that we spend too much time on theology and not enough time on bibliology. We quibble about little things and forget about the big things that we have in common. If we were living in a country like China or North Korea, which represses religion, we would not be having these arguments. Instead, we would be meeting in each other’s homes in total secrecy just so that we could worship, whether we were theologically Roman Catholics, evangelicals, or whatever. Such repression brings us together, not on a denominational basis, but as Christians who together desire to worship the one true God.

It is for this reason that I can, for example, feel comfortable requesting Roman Catholic lay Eucharistic training so that one day I might be able to bring the Sacrament to our Roman Catholics [who are currently attending our services] and at the same time apply for a military missionary ministry position with Campus Crusade for Christ, so that I can reach soldiers, sailors, and airmen, as well as the families of those who are deployed. It enables me to reach those who will benefit from my ministry. People don’t need theology. They need the love and care that Jesus commanded us to give to our neighbor. It is through love that we come to Christ, not theology.

Obviously, God used the thorn in Paul's side to make him a better minister. Is that what he is doing to us, so that, at some time in the future, we might be able to put away all of our differences so that we can truly understand what it means to love our neighbor?

Today's Verse: ¹⁵ You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. I urge you, brothers, ¹⁶ to submit to such as these and to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. 1 Co 16:15-16
As Paul gave his final instructions to the Church in Corinth, he urged those members to submit to those who are examples and have dedicated themselves to God's service.

Today's Comments: This whole bit of advice sounds like the kind of people that deacons should be. Deacons are devoted to the service of the saints. Who are the saints? Paul is not talking about those who are sitting up in heaven; he is talking about the church here on Earth. God created the church for a reason. And he created deacons for special service in the church. Those who say that they don't need a church to worship in are clearly wrong. Without the church, there is no ministry. We don't have that relationship with both God and our neighbor at the same time. The church, right or wrong, is Christ's bride whom He loves. And when she strays, He corrects her. And when she is repentent, He reconciles with her. Let us fall on our kness and pray for healing and reconciliation between God and man, through His one and only bride, the church.

Today's Verse: ²² So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. ²³ No one could see anyone else or leave his place for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Ex 10:21-23

This was the ninth plague that Moses brought upon Pharaoh. For three days, the land of Egypt lived in total darkness, except for the light in the homes of the Israelites.

Today's Comments: What the Bible describes in this passage is total and absolute darkness. I can hardly imagine what total darkness would be like. It would the the sky without starts, the city without lights. To not be able to even see anyone else in front of one's very own nose is virtually incomprehensible. From the description, this implies that the laws of nature may have even been altered. Obviously, the passage suggests that the Israelites could light fires to see inside their homes, but the Egyptians could not. To the Israelites, it meant that their gods were powerless against the great God of Israel. It especially showed the Egyptians that their sun god, Ra, could not withstand the power of the Lord God of Israel.

Today's Verse: Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Heb 3:1

Jesus was both our high priest and an apostle (one sent from God).

Today's Comments: We confess to Jesus, our high priest. We pray through Jesus, our high priest. There is no other high priest. Those who say that we can reach God through any other means than Jesus are deceiving themselves. Tomorrow's Gospel lesson is from Chapter 3 of John and includes John 3:16. Yet, John 3:15 also makes a statement that is often ignored. Looking at them together, we read: ¹⁴Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.^e]">[e] ¹⁶"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,^f]">[f] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Unless we lift Jesus up, we have no eternal life.