The Great Plains Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church of Wichita, Kansas, United States Daily Devotional for Saturday, 05 March 2016

The Great Plains Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church of Wichita, Kansas, United States Daily Devotional for Saturday, 05 March 2016
Today please be in prayer for

Norma McNair Gove Grainfield Hays District

Michael Rose Hays First Hays District

This Week's Lectionary
3rd Sunday in Lent - Purple

Today's Devotional from The Upper Room Daily Devotional Guide of Nashville, Tennessee, United for Saturday, 5 March 2016
1 Peter 2:19 For it is a grace when someone, because he is mindful of God, bears up under the pain of undeserved punishment. 20 For what credit is there in bearing up under a beating you deserve for doing something wrong? But if you bear up under punishment, even though you have done what is right, God looks on it with favor. 21 Indeed, this is what you were called to; because the Messiah too suffered, on your behalf, leaving an example so that you should follow in his steps.
22 “He committed no sin,
nor was any deceit found on his lips.”[1 Peter 2:22 Isaiah 53:9]
23 When he was insulted, he didn’t retaliate with insults; when he suffered, he didn’t threaten, but handed them over to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins[1 Peter 2:24 Isaiah 53:4, 12] in his body on the stake,[1 Peter 2:24 Deuteronomy 21:22–23] so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness — by his wounds you were healed.[1 Peter 2:24 Isaiah 53:5] 25 For you used to be like sheep gone astray, but now you have turned to[1 Peter 2:25 Isaiah 53:6] the Shepherd, who watches over you.
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Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.[1 Peter 2:21 (NIV)]
When I was six, I experienced my first blizzard. Imagine my shock when Dad opened the door revealing over a foot of snow! We seemed to be trapped. “How can we ever get out?” I exclaimed.
“Don’t worry,” Dad answered. “I’ll clear the way.” With that, he kicked the snow from the landing and began to shovel the walkway. I kept behind him each step of the way, and I was soon outdoors enjoying the sunshine and playing in the snow. Getting outside hadn’t been hard at all. Dad did all the work; I needed only to follow in his footsteps.
Someone else has also gone before us to clear the way, our Lord Jesus Christ. From time to time, “blizzards” of all types come into our lives. They can cause us to feel just as trapped as I did by that snowstorm. Yet, when we turn to Christ and allow him to lead the way, we can emerge from our trials into the sunlight of a better day.
The Author:
Monica A. Andermann (New York, USA)
Thought for the Day:
Today and every day I will trust Jesus Christ to guide my steps.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, when faced with a frightening situation, may we put our fears aside, turn to you in faith, and allow you to lead the way toward better circumstances. Amen.
Prayer focus: Those dealing with harsh weather conditions
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The Great Plains Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church of Wichita, Kansas, United States Daily Devotional for Friday, 04 March 2016
Today please be in prayer for

Tricia North Ellis Palco Hays District

Lyndelle Linde Goodland Hays District

Today's Devotional from The Upper Room Daily Devotional Guide of Nashville, Tennessee, United for Friday, 4 March 2016 John 5:1 After this, there was a Judean festival; and Yeshua went up to Yerushalayim. 2 In Yerushalayim, by the Sheep Gate, is a pool called in Aramaic, Beit-Zata, 3 in which lay a crowd of invalids — blind, lame, crippled. 4 [John 5:4 Some manuscripts have verses 3b–4: . . . , waiting for the water to move; 4 for at certain times an angel of Adonai went down into the pool and disturbed the water, and whoever stepped into the water first after it was disturbed was healed of whatever disease he had.] 5 One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 Yeshua, seeing this man and knowing that he had been there a long time, said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 7 The sick man answered, “I have no one to put me in the pool when the water is disturbed; and while I’m trying to get there, someone goes in ahead of me.” 8 Yeshua said to him, “Get up, pick up your mat and walk!” 9 Immediately the man was healed, and he picked up his mat and walked.
Now that day was Shabbat,
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Jesus . . . asked [the sick man], “Do you want to get well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I don’t have anyone who can put me in the water when it is stirred up. When I’m trying to get to it, someone else has gotten in ahead of me.”[John 5:6-7 (CEB)]
The man in today’s reading had been sick for 38 years. (See John 5:5.) He had suffered all that time hoping for a cure — or just wanting a friend to lift him into the healing waters that he thought could make him well. Then Jesus came by and asked him a simple question: “Do you want to get well?” The man didn’t yell, “Yes, of course I want to get well!” at the top of his lungs as we might expect. Instead, he gave an explanation for why he hadn’t been made well up to this point.
We also may try to explain or even make excuses: why we were late to work, didn’t finish a project on time, or can’t change something in our lives. We can come up with a million excuses for why we can’t follow God. For me, those excuses include: I don’t have enough time, I’m too busy, I don’t have enough money, or I’m too afraid. Sometimes it seems we can’t even imagine the ways God can change us.
In today’s reading, Jesus listened to the man’s explanation and then healed him, right then and there. When we come to Jesus and ask to change, to be made well, we can lay down our excuses. And then we can begin to walk side by side with Jesus in a life more abundant than we could ever imagine.
The Author:
Stephanie Marker (Missouri, USA)
Thought for the Day:
God is patiently drawing me closer.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for listening to us and calling us to change in ways we cannot now imagine. Amen.
Prayer focus: Those struggling in their faith

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The Great Plains Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church of Wichita, Kansas, United States Daily Devotional for Thursday, 03 March 2016
Today please be in prayer for

Ed Woods Clayton Jennings Norcatur Hays District

James Mardock Colby Hays District

Today's Devotional from The Upper Room Daily Devotional Guide of Nashville, Tennessee, United for Thursday, 3 March 2016 Luke 12:22 To his talmidim Yeshua said, “Because of this I tell you, don’t worry about your life — what you will eat or drink; or about your body — what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Think about the ravens! They neither plant nor harvest, they have neither storerooms nor barns, yet God feeds them. You are worth much more than the birds! 25 Can any of you by worrying add an hour to his life? 26 If you can’t do a little thing like that, why worry about the rest? 27 Think about the wild irises, and how they grow. They neither work nor spin thread; yet, I tell you, not even Shlomo in all his glory was clothed as beautifully as one of these. 28 If this is how God clothes grass, which is alive in the field today and thrown in the oven tomorrow, how much more will he clothe you! What little trust you have!
29 “In other words, don’t strive after what you will eat and what you will drink — don’t be anxious. 30 For all the pagan nations in the world set their hearts on these things. Your Father knows that you need them too. 31 Rather, seek his Kingdom; and these things will be given to you as well.
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Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.[Philippians 4:6 (NRSV)]
Spring had arrived in South Africa. Looking out my window after my daily devotional that morning, I was blessed to see a beautiful display: clivias and an angel bush (or “May bush”) in full bloom. Trees were also beautifully adorned in a glorious spring gift of greenery.
As I enjoyed this moment, I remembered the words of Jesus: “Why do you worry about clothes? Notice how the lilies in the field grow. They don’t wear themselves out with work, and they don’t spin cloth. But I say to you that even Solomon in all of his splendor wasn’t dressed like one of these” (Matt. 6:28-29, CEB).
Certainly we should be responsible and concerned about issues that affect us. But when we are consumed by worry, we can commit these concerns in faith and prayer to the Lord and then listen for God’s answer in our Bible readings, in our daily devotions, and in meeting in worship and fellowship with Christian friends. When we are worried, we can remember these practices and trust in God’s promises.
The Author:
Alec Stoltz (Gauteng, South Africa)
Thought for the Day:
Today I will bring my worries to God in prayer.
Prayer:
Loving God, thank you for your faithfulness, day by day and season by season. Help us to trust you always in all circumstances and to be faithful in prayer each day. Amen.
Prayer focus: Someone who is consumed with worry

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The Great Plains Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church of Wichita, Kansas, United States Daily Devotional for Wednesday, 02 March 2016

Today please be in prayer for

Bonnie Linton-Hendrick Arnold Bazine Ransom Hays District

Connie Wooldridge Atwood Hays District

Today's Devotional from The Upper Room Daily Devotional Guide of Nashville, Tennessee, United for Wednesday, 2 March 2016 2 Peter 1: From: Shim‘on Kefa, a slave and emissary of Yeshua the Messiah
To: Those who, through the righteousness of our God and of our Deliverer Yeshua the Messiah, have been given the same kind of trust as ours:
2 May grace and shalom be yours in full measure, as you come to a full knowledge of God and Yeshua our Lord.
3 God’s power has given us everything we need for life and godliness, through our knowing the One who called us to his own glory and goodness. 4 By these he has given us valuable and superlatively great promises, so that through them you might come to share in God’s nature and escape the corruption which evil desires have brought into the world.
5 For this very reason, try your hardest to furnish your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, 6 knowledge with self-control, self-control with perseverance, perseverance with godliness, 7 godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if you have these qualities in abundance, they keep you from being barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.
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What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?[Micah 6:8 (NRSV)]
Many years ago I served as a deckhand on a tugboat in the waters of Tampa Bay. One of the deckhand’s duties is to throw a coiled, heavy line onto a bitt (metal or wooden post) of a barge and secure it. A deckhand’s failure to correctly execute this procedure is extremely frustrating for the captain, who has to circle and make another approach. At first I often messed up this assignment, until I received the following tip from an experienced hand: “Don’t try to lasso the bitt; just throw the coiled line at the bitt, and the loop will fall into place on its own.” This proved to be good advice, and I never again had trouble with this task.
My memory of this experience reminds me of the times I’ve made clumsy attempts to “lasso” non-Christians by trying to convert them. Today’s verse tells us that this approach is not what the Lord requires of us. And Jesus’ approach seems to have been focused on attraction rather than promotion. Jesus healed the sick, and he genuinely loved and cared about people.
I believe it’s fine to invite people to church and to share the gospel. But in most cases the best way to bring others to Christ may be to try a little kindness and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us forward from there.
The Author:
Scott Wierenga (Michigan, USA)
Thought for the Day:
How can I follow the Holy Spirit in my actions today?
Prayer:
O Lord, guide us as we share your love to make disciples of all people. Amen.
Prayer focus: Seafaring workers

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The Great Plains Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church of Wichita, Kansas, United States Daily Devotional for Tuesday, 01 March 2016
Today please be in prayer for

Bob Whitaker Almena Norton Hays District

Leslie Rye Amherst Lucas Luray Hays District

Today's Devotional from The Upper Room Daily Devotional Guide of Nashville, Tennessee, United for Tuesday, 1 March 2016 Psalm 91:14 “Because he loves me, I will rescue him;
because he knows my name, I will protect him.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him.
I will be with him when he is in trouble.
I will extricate him and bring him honor.
16 I will satisfy him with long life
and show him my salvation.”
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Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.[Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)]
When my late husband developed a debilitating disease in his mid-thirties — a disease that would gradually paralyze him over a 24-year period — I was afraid of what the future might hold. How would we make our living? How would the disease affect our children and our marriage? As the disease progressed and my husband’s abilities diminished, we had to continually search for ways to adjust to his new limitations.
One of the blessings of this adversity was that through these difficult times, we sought a closer relationship with God. As I look back, I can see that even when we prayed for physical healing, which didn’t come, God was with us — strengthening and blessing our marriage and our family relationships, sustaining us financially, and upholding us through many trials. Life is not always easy, but we can trust in God’s promise to strengthen us and to help us overcome any struggle.
Read more from the author, here.
"More from Amy Arlene Anderson"
I am glad that I was able to care for my husband, Keith, at home during the years of his illness. Sometimes people would say to me, “I donʼt know how you do it." One answer is that I loved him very much. I was young when we married and my life was centered around him and our children. For years after his diagnosis we thrived on hope: hope that the disease would not progress, hope that a cure might be found, hope that God would heal his body and return him to good health. But this was not to be.
As his body slowly deteriorated, we searched for treatments that might bring him relief from his suffering. We even traveled to another country when it looked like there was a possibility of getting help. But it was to no avail and eventually the paralysis took over his body. However, there was never any thought as to whether he should remain at home or not. I wanted him there, where he would be loved and cared for.
I firmly believe that the only reason we were able to cope for so many years was that God gave us the strength we needed for each day. Iʼd been baptized and confirmed when I was young, but it wasnʼt until I was an adult and married that regular worship and Bible study became a part of my life. After Keith's illness began, I became even more diligent in wanting a closer relationship with God. One study group, which was led by a retired pastor, met in our home so that Keith could be a part of it also.
His life was not easy and we had our difficult days. Once, after a disagreement when we were both a little angry, I remember asking God to strengthen our love for each other and He unquestionably did. Toward the end of Keith's life I knew he was ready to be released from the prison his body had become, but the thought of losing him was still difficult to bear. On Jan. 19th, 1997, with family at his bedside, Keith went home to be with the Lord.
Many years have passed since his death, and I continue to see God at work in my life, strengthening my faith. With gratitude I pray: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.” (Psalm 103:1)[Amy Arlene Anderson]
The Author:
Amy Arlene Anderson (Minnesota, USA)
Thought for the Day:
When I am afraid, God invites me to pray.
Prayer:
Thank you, God, for loving us. Help us to put our trust in you, knowing that you will strengthen us and help us through difficult times. Amen.
Prayer focus: People who are homebound and their caregivers

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The Great Plains Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church of Wichita, Kansas, United States Daily Devotional for Monday, 29 February 2016
Today please be in prayer for

Warren Cico St. Francis Hays District

Les Ellis Stockton Woodston Hays District

Today's Devotional from The Upper Room Daily Devotional Guide of Nashville, Tennessee, United for Monday, 29 February 2016 Philippians 2:12 So, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed when I was with you, it is even more important that you obey now when I am away from you: keep working out your deliverance with fear and trembling,[Philippians 2:12 Psalm 2:11] 13 for God is the one working among you both the willing and the working for what pleases him. 14 Do everything without kvetching or arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure children of God, without defect in the midst of a twisted and perverted generation,[Philippians 2:15 Deuteronomy 32:5] among whom you shine like stars in the sky, 16 as you hold on to the Word of Life. If you do this, I will be able to boast, when the Day of the Messiah comes, that I did not run or toil for nothing. 17 Indeed, even if my lifeblood is poured out as a drink offering over the sacrifice and service of your faith, I will still be glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise, you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
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It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.[Philippians 2:13 (NIV)]
We have all experienced a time when something in life concerns us. When a problem arises, we may think,
Why can’t someone fix it?
Or when a charitable cause speaks deeply to us, we may think,
Why don’t people give more of their time and money?
Not long ago, my church started to lose many of its young members. Some stopped attending, while others married and moved away. And our church wasn’t attracting new young members. What was wrong with us? Was it the music? Did our activities fail to target the twenty-something age group? I couldn’t figure it out. I ranted to my family, demanding to know why the congregation wasn’t doing more to welcome younger people to our church.
Philippians 2:13 helped me realize that God doesn’t call everyone for every purpose. God works in each of us in different ways. In meditating on these words, I realized that while I was waiting for others to do something, God was urging me to help my church attract younger people. God was working in me for this specific purpose. I simply needed to answer God’s call.
The Author:
Jennifer Brigandi (Ontario, Canada)
Thought for the Day:
What is God calling me to do?
Prayer:
Dear God, help us recognize and respond to your call so that we may work according to your purpose. Amen.
Prayer focus: YOUNG ADULT MINISTRIES

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The Great Plains Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church of Wichita, Kansas, United States Daily Devotional for Sunday, 28 March 2016
Today please be in prayer for

Duncan Ibuuri Sharon Springs Hays District

Debra Harvey Agra Kirwin Smith Center Hays District

Today's Devotional from The Upper Room Daily Devotional Guide of Nashville, Tennessee, United for Sunday, 28 February 2016 Philippians 3:20 But we are citizens of heaven, and it is from there that we expect a Deliverer, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 21 He will change the bodies we have in this humble state and make them like his glorious body, using the power which enables him to bring everything under his control.
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Be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God.[Romans 12:2 (NRSV)]
“I’m afraid I don’t like change!” A member of our congregation had often expressed this comment in church meetings when we discussed different styles of worship or new approaches to our gospel mission. This time a loving friend replied, “I’m sorry about that. What are you going to do when you die?” We remembered Paul’s words, “We will not all die, but we will all be changed” (1 Cor. 15:51).
Resistance to change has often been a divisive stumbling block for both church and society. Change may not always be good, but our life in Christ is a journey through change. Through God’s renewing grace we reflect our new life in Christ in our thoughts and attitudes. As we mature in faith, life becomes a day-by-day transformation into the likeness of Christ.
A few months after I went through a personal deepening experience of Jesus as Savior and Lord, a close family member said to me, “You’re different!” I want that sort of change to continue. When we embrace change we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, helping us to mature spiritually.
Read more from the author, here.
"More from Colin Harbach"

In today's meditation I may have fallen into that common preacher's error--making Christian life seem easy! Conversion to Christ and deepening experiences of him are of course happy times of fellowship, forgiveness, and peace, but the changes they bring can be painful and self-denying. They may also cause hurt to others who are affected by our decisions and what is happening in our lives. A change in my life-direction and my commitment to Christ rarely just involves me. That was my experience when following him to West Africa years ago. Fortunately I was blessed with family and friends who could accept the change, even though it hurt them. There are so many today who will make changes for Jesus which will severely endanger their own lives and those of their families.
Changes in our relationships are mostly associated with new understanding. Discovering something new about a person at work or in church may give us fresh knowledge of them which in turn leads to a new relationship. Again I think it is like that in our Christian Way. As we live more and more with the words and actions of Jesus, his Spirit show us aspects of him which may change our relationship both with him and others....I often hear him say "Judge not!" The apostle Paul is so right when he says a Christian's growth experience is really a mind-change--a whole new way of thinking.
I enjoy walking in our beautiful countryside. Whenever possible I prefer to make a circular walk but sometimes having to return by the same route and travelling in the opposite direction can be a dramatic reversal of the scene. We see things we missed on the outward walk. Our understanding of Jesus is like that too. Daily life events may throw a different light on what he said. There are a number of times when family issues have helped me understand what Jesus meant when he described God as "our father."
The more we are changed to live closer to Jesus the more we experience what Paul calls sharing the mind of Christ--thinking as he thinks. My friends Jack and Joanne have shared the companionship of a happy marriage for many years. While they still have their individual personal interests and friends their closeness enables them to mostly be in agreement about everyday life issues. Jack told me, "Joanna knows what I'm thinking even before I think it!" Our friendship with our Lord may be like that. As we grow alike, we think alike. I could say that relationship is easy, but better perhaps to say it is simple.
This week I came across a translation of "An Old Man's Prayer"--Psalm 71--in which verse 7 was particularly helpful. It read "Hurry, Lord. Come closer!" Living closer means changes. Some of those changes may be difficult, but we shall never have to make them alone![Colin Harbach]
I try to share my experience of "come closer" through preaching, teaching and writing. You may be interested to read more on my website: www.friendshipfiles.com.

The Author:
Colin D. Harbach (Cumbria, England)
Thought for the Day:
Today I will welcome changes that come from drawing close to Jesus.
Prayer:
Dear God, keep changing us. Renew our hearts and minds constantly. Help us to have openness and wisdom in the face of every change. Amen.
Prayer focus: CONGREGATIONS FACING BIG CHANGES
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Isaiah 55:1-9
Psalm 63:1-8
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Luke 13:1-9

"This Sunday, February 28, 2016"
Third Sunday in Lent: Isaiah 55:1-9; Psalm 63:1-8; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13; Luke 13:1-9

Scritpure Lessons:

Isaiah 55:1 “All you who are thirsty, come to the water!

You without money, come, buy, and eat!

Yes, come! Buy wine and milk

without money — it’s free!

2 Why spend money for what isn’t food,

your wages for what doesn’t satisfy?

Listen carefully to me, and you will eat well,

you will enjoy the fat of the land.

3 Open your ears, and come to me;

listen well, and you will live —

I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

the grace I assured David.

4 I have given him as a witness to the peoples,

a leader and lawgiver for the peoples.

5 You will summon a nation you do not know,

and a nation that doesn’t know you will run to you,

for the sake of Adonai your God,

the Holy One of Isra’el, who will glorify you.”

6 Seek Adonai while he is available,

call on him while he is still nearby.

7 Let the wicked person abandon his way

and the evil person his thoughts;

let him return to Adonai,

and he will have mercy on him;

let him return to our God,

for he will freely forgive.

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

and your ways are not my ways,” says Adonai.

9 “As high as the sky is above the earth

are my ways higher than your ways,

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Psalm 63:1 (0) A psalm of David, when he was in the desert of Y’hudah:

2 (1) O God, you are my God;

I will seek you eagerly.

My heart thirsts for you,

my body longs for you

in a land parched and exhausted,

where no water can be found.

3 (2) I used to contemplate you in the sanctuary,

seeing your power and glory;

4 (3) for your grace is better than life.

My lips will worship you.

5 (4) Yes, I will bless you as long as I live;

in your name I will lift up my hands.

6 (5) I am as satisfied as with rich food;

my mouth praises you with joy on my lips

7 (6) when I remember you on my bed

and meditate on you in the night watches.

8 (7) For you have been my help;

in the shadow of your wings I rejoice;

1 Corinthians 10:1 For, brothers, I don’t want you to miss the significance of what happened to our fathers. All of them were guided by the pillar of cloud, and they all passed through the sea, 2 and in connection with the cloud and with the sea they all immersed themselves into Moshe, 3 also they all ate the same food from the Spirit, 4 and they all drank the same drink from the Spirit — for they drank from a Spirit-sent Rock which followed them, and that Rock was the Messiah. 5 Yet with the majority of them God was not pleased, so their bodies were strewn across the desert.

6 Now these things took place as prefigurative historical events, warning us not to set our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Don’t be idolaters, as some of them were — as the Tanakh puts it, “The people sat down to eat and drink, then got up to indulge in revelry.”[1 Corinthians 10:7 Exodus 32:6] 8 And let us not engage in sexual immorality, as some of them did, with the consequence that 23,000 died in a single day. 9 And let us not put the Messiah to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by snakes. 10 And don’t grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the Destroying Angel.

11 These things happened to them as prefigurative historical events, and they were written down as a warning to us who are living in the acharit-hayamim. 12 Therefore, let anyone who thinks he is standing up be careful not to fall! 13 No temptation has seized you beyond what people normally experience, and God can be trusted not to allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. On the contrary, along with the temptation he will also provide the way out, so that you will be able to endure.

Luke 13:1 Just then, some people came to tell Yeshua about the men from the Galil whom Pilate had slaughtered even while they were slaughtering animals for sacrifice. 2 His answer to them was, “Do you think that just because they died so horribly, these folks from the Galil were worse sinners than all the others from the Galil? 3 No, I tell you. Rather, unless you turn to God from your sins, you will all die as they did!

4 “Or what about those eighteen people who died when the tower at Shiloach fell on them? Do you think they were worse offenders than all the other people living in Yerushalayim? 5 No, I tell you. Rather, unless you turn from your sins, you will all die similarly.”

6 Then Yeshua gave this illustration: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit but didn’t find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘Here, I’ve come looking for fruit on this fig tree for three years now without finding any. Cut it down — why let it go on using up the soil?’ 8 But he answered, ‘Sir, leave it alone one more year. I’ll dig around it and put manure on it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, well and good; if not, you will have it cut down then.’”

John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for Isaiah 55:1-9

Verse 1

[1] Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Thirsteth — For the grace of God and the blessings of the gospel. This thirst implies a vehement, and active, and restless desire after it.

No money — Those who are most worthless and wicked, if they do but thirst may be welcome.

Buy — Procure or receive that which is freely offered.

Wine and milk — All gospel-blessings; in particular, that peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, which are better than wine, and that love of God which nourishes the soul, as milk does the body.

Verse 2

[2] Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

Money — All your time, and strength, and cost.

Not bread — For those things which can never nourish or satisfy you, such as worldly goods, or pleasures.

Eat ye — That which is truly and solidly, and everlastingly good.

In fatness — In this pleasant food of gospel-enjoyments.

Verse 3

[3] Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

An everlasting covenant — That everlasting covenant of grace and peace which I made with Abraham, and his seed.

Of David — Even that covenant which was made first with Abraham, and then with David, concerning those glorious and sure blessings which God hath promised to his people, one and the chief of which was giving Christ to die for their sins. David here seems to be put for the son of David.

Verse 4

[4] Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

Behold — I have appointed, and will in due time actually give.

Him — The David last mentioned, even Christ.

A witness — To declare the will of God concerning the duty and salvation of men, to bear witness to truth, to confirm God's promises, and, among others, those which respect the calling of the Gentiles: to be a witness of both parties of that covenant made between God and men.

The people — To all people.

Verse 5

[5] Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

Thou — Thou, O Messiah.

Call — To the knowledge of thyself.

Knewest not — With that special knowledge which implies approbation.

Because — Because the Lord shall by many tokens, manifest himself to be thy God, and thee to be his son and faithful servant.

Glorify thee — By confirming thy word with illustrious signs and miracles, and particularly by thy resurrection, and glorious ascension.

Verse 6

[6] Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

Seek — Labour to get the knowledge of God's will, and to obtain his grace and favour.

While — In this day of grace, while he offers mercy and reconciliation.

Near — Ready and desirous to receive you to mercy.

Verse 7

[7] Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Return — By sincere repentance, and faith.

Verse 8

[8] For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

For — If any man injure you, especially if he do it greatly and frequently, you are slow and backward to forgive him. But I am ready to forgive all penitents, how many, and great, and numberless soever their sins be.

Psalm 63:1-8

Verse 1

[1] O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

Early — Heb. in the morning, Which implies the doing it with diligence and speed.

Thirsteth — For the enjoyment of thee in thy house and ordinances.

Flesh — The desire of my soul, is so vehement, that my very body feels the effects of it.

No water — In a land where I want the refreshing waters of the sanctuary.

Verse 2

[2] To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

To see — To enjoy.

Power — The powerful and glorious effects of thy gracious presence.

Verse 5

[5] My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

Satisfied — When thou shalt fulfil my earnest desire of enjoying thee in the sanctuary.

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Verse 1

[1] Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

Now — That ye may not become reprobates, consider how highly favoured your fathers were, who were God's elect and peculiar people, and nevertheless were rejected by him. They were all under the cloud - That eminent token of God's gracious presence, which screened them from the heat of the sun by day, and gave them light by night.

And all passed through the sea — God opening a way through the midst of the waters. Exodus 13:21; Exodus 14:22

Verse 2

[2] And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

And were all, as it were, baptized unto Moses - initiated into the religion which he taught them.

In the cloud and in the sea — Perhaps sprinkled here and there with drops of water from the sea or the cloud, by which baptism might be the more evidently signified.

Verse 3

[3] And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

And all ate the same manna, termed spiritual meat, as it was typical, 1. Of Christ and his spiritual benefits: 2. Of the sacred bread which we eat at his table. Exodus 16:15.

Verse 4

[4] And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

And all drank the same spiritual drink — Typical of Christ, and of that cup which we drink. For they drank out of the spiritual or mysterious rock, the wonderful streams of which followed them in their several journeyings, for many years, through the wilderness. And that rock was a manifest type of Christ - The Rock of Eternity, from whom his people derive those streams of blessings which follow them through all this wilderness. Exodus 17:6.

Verse 5

[5] But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

Yet — Although they had so many tokens of the divine presence.

They were overthrown — With the most terrible marks of his displeasure.

Verse 6

[6] Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

Now these things were our examples — Showing what we are to expect if, enjoying the like benefits, we commit the like sins. The benefits are set down in the same order as by Moses in Exodus; the sins and punishments in a different order; evil desire first, as being the foundation of all; next, idolatry, 1 Corinthians 10:7,14; then fornication, which usually accompanied it, 1 Corinthians 10:8; the tempting and murmuring against God, in the following verses.

As they desired — Flesh, in contempt of manna. Numbers 11:4

Verse 7

[7] Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

Neither be ye idolaters — And so, "neither murmur ye," 1 Corinthians 10:10. The other cautions are given in the first person; but these in the second. And with what exquisite propriety does he vary the person! It would have been improper to say, Neither let us be idolaters; for he was himself in no danger of idolatry; nor probably of murmuring against Christ, or the divine providence.

To play — That is, to dance, in honour of their idol. Exodus 32:6.

Verse 8

[8] Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

And fell in one day three and twenty thousand — Beside the princes who were afterwards hanged, and those whom the judges slew so that there died in all four and twenty thousand. Numbers 25:1,9.

Verse 9

[9] Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

Neither let us tempt Christ — By our unbelief. St. Paul enumerates five benefits, 1 Corinthians 10:1-4; of which the fourth and fifth were closely connected together; and five sins, the fourth and fifth of which were likewise closely connected. In speaking of the fifth benefit, he expressly mentions Christ; and in speaking of the fourth sin, he shows it was committed against Christ.

As some of them tempted him — This sin of the people was peculiarly against Christ; for when they had so long drank of that rock, yet they murmured for want of water. Numbers 21:4, etc.

Verse 10

[10] Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

The destroyer — The destroying angel. Numbers 14:1,36

Verse 11

[11] Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

On whom the ends of the ages are come — The expression has great force. All things meet together, and come to a crisis, under the last, the gospel, dispensation; both benefits and dangers, punishments and rewards. It remains, that Christ come as an avenger and judge. And even these ends include various periods, succeeding each other.

Verse 12

[12] Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

The common translation runs, Let him that thinketh he standeth; but the word translated thinketh, most certainly strengthens, rather than weakens, the sense.

Verse 13

[13] There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Common to man — Or, as the Greek word imports, proportioned to human strength.

God is faithful — In giving the help which he hath promised.

And he will with the temptation — Provide for your deliverance.

Luke 13:1-9

Verse 3

[3] I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Ye shall all likewise perish — All ye of Galilee and of Jerusalem shall perish in the very same manner. So the Greek word implies. And so they did. There was a remarkable resemblance between the fate of these Galileans and of the main body of the Jewish nation; the flower of which was slain at Jerusalem by the Roman sword, while they were assembled at one of their great festivals. And many thousands of them perished in the temple itself, and were literally buried under its ruins.

Verse 6

[6] He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.

A man had a fig tree — Either we may understand God the Father by him that had the vineyard , and Christ by him that kept it: or Christ himself is he that hath it, and his ministers they that keep it. Psalms 80:8. etc.

Verse 7

[7] Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

Three years — Christ was then in the third year of his ministry. But it may mean only several years; a certain number being put for an uncertain.

Why doth it also cumber the ground? — That is, not only bear no fruit itself, but take up the ground of another tree that would.

Sermon Story "Repentance" by Gary Lee Parker for Sunday, 28 February 2016 with Scripture: Isaiah 55:1 “All you who are thirsty, come to the water!

You without money, come, buy, and eat!

Yes, come! Buy wine and milk

without money — it’s free!

2 Why spend money for what isn’t food,

your wages for what doesn’t satisfy?

Listen carefully to me, and you will eat well,

you will enjoy the fat of the land.

3 Open your ears, and come to me;

listen well, and you will live —

I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

the grace I assured David.

4 I have given him as a witness to the peoples,

a leader and lawgiver for the peoples.

5 You will summon a nation you do not know,

and a nation that doesn’t know you will run to you,

for the sake of Adonai your God,

the Holy One of Isra’el, who will glorify you.”

6 Seek Adonai while he is available,

call on him while he is still nearby.

7 Let the wicked person abandon his way

and the evil person his thoughts;

let him return to Adonai,

and he will have mercy on him;

let him return to our God,

for he will freely forgive.

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

and your ways are not my ways,” says Adonai.

9 “As high as the sky is above the earth

are my ways higher than your ways,

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As we have read these four passages of Scripture, there arises a common theme from the Scriptures which is Repentance. [At least from the perspective of this preacher]. The emphasis will be placed upon Isaiah 55 for the message today. We hear from God that those who are thirsty for the holiness of God should come and drink from the waters God has provided. As we come to drink from God, we realize of our own unholiness or sin and repent to God for our sins whether individual or communal. We read over the passage and see where the marginalized or people who have committed evil who thirst for God are able to come and receive God's water of Holiness. We struggle a little with this until we realize how inclusive God is in reaching out to all people whether the oppressed or oppressor or different cultures or different faith traditions or different sexual orientation or different social or economic status or citizenship status as a citizen or immigrant whether legal or illegal or refugee seeking a peaceful place to settle to raise a family and seek education to be employed at a living wage or people who are differently abled. Many times when we get to know people who are differently abled, they come across as people who seek acceptance and love just as they are. God does this for them, but too often we, people, tend to exclude them from society's activities as well as the church's activities. We learn that they seek God's holiness because they are thirsty for God. They not only seek this for themselves, but they seek it for all other people including the people who may be oppressing them or taking care of them. God simply states that those who are thirsty are to come to Him and drink His water as from the Rock who is Jesus. If we do not understand this to be for all people, then we miss what God said in using the word "ALL" for. How have you understood or heard this passage explained before, exclusively or inclusively? How will you respond to people who are different from you? How will you respond to God and drink from His cup and realize that you need to repent of one's sins against Him? We come to realize that as we come to eat the Body of Jesus and drink His Blood through our participation of the Holy Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist or Communion. As we come to receive this mornings blessings from God, we come repenting and drinking from His cup singing the Hymn "Father, I've Failed You" by Ken Bible

1. Father, I've failed You.

See my sin and selfishness;

See how I've nourished my foolish pride.

Touch with Your mercy;

Speak Your forgiveness

Through all the guilt I've tried to hide.

2. Jesus, my brother,

Human, Holy Savior,

You feel the weakness I feel within.

You are my Righteousness;

You are my Confidence,

For when I'm weak, Your strength begins.

3. Moment by moment,

Marvelous, Almighty God,

Resting in You, I am truly free.

Teach me to trust You;

Teach me to walk in You,

My Lord, my Strength, my Liberty!

Benediction

Turn to the Lord, for God is good.

We have found new life in Christ! 

Repent of your sins and find God's forgiveness. 

We have found new life in Christ! 

Go forth as new creatures, able to serve

and quick to love. 

We have found new life in Christ!

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Contact Information

Great Plains Episcopal Office

9440 E Boston, Suite 160

Wichita, Kansas 67207, United States

316-686-0600

800-745-2350

info@greatplainsumc.org

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