Upper Room Daily Reflections from The Upper Room Ministries of Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Generosity Unleashes Abundance" for Saturday, 30 May 2015

Upper Room Daily Reflections from The Upper Room Ministries of Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Generosity Unleashes Abundance" for Saturday, 30 May 2015

Today's Reflection:
In a little village called El Pescador (“the fisherman”) in the Baja Peninsula of Mexico, a group of American students and adults finished their homebuilding work one evening, went back to their campsite, and warmed a huge pot of soup. They had worked hard all day mixing cement for the foundation of a small house, and they were hungry. As the sounds of laughter and the smell of the soup drifted into the village, a woman who lived in the community shyly approached the group. She and her four children were hungry. Her husband worked many miles away in a maquiladora, a manufacturing plant, and would not be home with his week’s wages for several days. The work team invited the family to dinner.
Word quickly spread throughout the town. Over the next hour, seven families joined the growing dinner group. The cooking team added additional water to the soup, praying it would stretch far enough to feed the big hungry crowd. One family brought fresh tortillas, and another brought two watermelons fresh from the garden.
We all know how the story ends. The new friends shared soup and tortillas until they could eat no more. Laughter and stories told in broken Spanish and English filled the air. Pointing, smiling, and sign language served as a wonderfully effective means of communication. Finally the cooking team began to clean up and discovered they had more soup left than capacity to store it. And so the soup went home with the seven families.
How could there be so much left over? It didn’t make sense. But that’s what happened on a hillside above the Pacific Ocean in El Pescador, just like it happened two thousand years ago on a hillside above the shore of Galilee. Generosity unleashes abundance.[Rebecca Dwight Bruff, Loving the World with God]
From page 39 of Loving the World with God: Fourth Day Living by Rebecca Dwight Bruff. Copyright © 2014 by Rebecca Dwight Bruff. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Upper Room Books. http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Question:
Pray for a spirit of generosity.
Today’s Scripture:
Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.”[John 3:15, NRSV]

This Week: pray for graduating seniors.

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Did You Know?

In need of prayer? The Upper Room Living Prayer Center is a 7-day-a-week intercessory prayer ministry staffed by trained volunteers, call 1-800-251-2468 or visit The Living Prayer Center web site.

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Saints, Inc.: This week we remember: Augustine of Canterbury (May 27).

Italian born, Augustine became a monk and prior of Rome's St. Andrew's Monastery.

When he was chosen by Pope Gregory the Great to lead forty monks in Anglo-Saxon evangelization, Augustine sailed in Kent in A.D. 597 and soon had baptized Ethelbert, king of Kent, and thousands of other new Christians. Since Britain had been home to Christianity for several centuries, this was not an entirely new venture. In fact, Ethelbert's French-born wife, Queen Bertha, was already Christian.

Five years later, Augustine built a school, cathedral, and the Monastery of St. Peter and St. Paul (later known as St. Augustine's) in Canterbury. He continued to build up the church despite tensions between him and the British Church, who ran things their own way and didn't appreciate the Roman Christians.

Augustine became the first Archbishop of Canterbury. He died sometime between 604 and 609, and was buried at St. Augustine's. Five centuries later, his remains were moved to the new (current) Canterbury Cathedral.

Augustine is considered a patron saint of England.

If Augustine of Canterbury had taken the Spiritual Types Test, he probably would have been a Lover. Augustine of Canterbury is remembered on May 27.

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Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Isaiah 6:1-8

Psalm 29

Romans 8:12-17

John 3:1-17

Lectionary Scriptures:

Isaiah 6:1 In the year of King ‘Uziyahu’s death I saw Adonai sitting on a high, lofty throne! The hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 S’rafim stood over him, each with six wings — two for covering his face, two for covering his feet and two for flying. 3 They were crying out to each other,

“More holy than the holiest holiness

is Adonai-Tzva’ot!

The whole earth is filled

with his glory!”

4 The doorposts shook at the sound of their shouting, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then I said,

“Woe to me! I [too] am doomed! —

because I, a man with unclean lips,

living among a people with unclean lips,

have seen with my own eyes

the King, Adonai-Tzva’ot!”

6 One of the s’rafim flew to me with a glowing coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 He touched my mouth with it and said,

“Here! This has touched your lips.

Your iniquity is gone,

your sin is atoned for.”

8 Then I heard the voice of Adonai saying,

“Whom should I send?

Who will go for us?”

I answered, “I’m here, send me!”

Psalm 29:(0) A psalm of David:

(1) Give Adonai his due, you who are godly;

give Adonai his due of glory and strength;

2 give Adonai the glory due his name;

worship Adonai in holy splendor.

3 The voice of Adonai is over the waters;

the God of glory thunders,

Adonai over rushing waters,

4 the voice of Adonai in power,

the voice of Adonai in splendor.

5 The voice of Adonai cracks the cedars;

Adonai splinters the cedars of the L’vanon

6 and makes the L’vanon skip like a calf,

Siryon like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of Adonai flashes fiery flames;

8 the voice of Adonai rocks the desert,

Adonai convulses the Kadesh Desert.

9 The voice of Adonai causes deer to give birth

and strips the forests bare —

while in his temple, all cry, “Glory!”

10 Adonai sits enthroned above the flood!

Adonai sits enthroned as king forever!

11 May Adonai give strength to his people!

May Adonai bless his people with shalom!

Romans 8:12 So then, brothers, we don’t owe a thing to our old nature that would require us to live according to our old nature. 13 For if you live according to your old nature, you will certainly die; but if, by the Spirit, you keep putting to death the practices of the body, you will live.

14 All who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to bring you back again into fear; on the contrary, you received the Spirit, who makes us sons and by whose power we cry out, “Abba!” (that is, “Dear Father!”). 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our own spirits that we are children of God; 17 and if we are children, then we are also heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with the Messiah — provided we are suffering with him in order also to be glorified with him.

John 3:1 There was a man among the P’rushim, named Nakdimon, who was a ruler of the Judeans. 2 This man came to Yeshua by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know it is from God that you have come as a teacher; for no one can do these miracles you perform unless God is with him.” 3 “Yes, indeed,” Yeshua answered him, “I tell you that unless a person is born again from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

4 Nakdimon said to him, “How can a grown man be ‘born’? Can he go back into his mother’s womb and be born a second time?” 5 Yeshua answered, “Yes, indeed, I tell you that unless a person is born from water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. 6 What is born from the flesh is flesh, and what is born from the Spirit is spirit. 7 Stop being amazed at my telling you that you must be born again from above! 8 The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it’s going. That’s how it is with everyone who has been born from the Spirit.”

9 Nakdimon replied, “How can this happen?” 10 Yeshua answered him, “You hold the office of teacher in Isra’el, and you don’t know this? 11 Yes, indeed! I tell you that what we speak about, we know; and what we give evidence of, we have seen; but you people don’t accept our evidence! 12 If you people don’t believe me when I tell you about the things of the world, how will you believe me when I tell you about the things of heaven? 13 No one has gone up into heaven; there is only the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moshe lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life.

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but rather so that through him, the world might be saved.

John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for

Isaiah 6:1-8

Verse 1

[1] In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

I saw — In a vision.

The Lord — The Divine Majesty as he subsisteth in three persons.

His train — His royal and judicial robe; for he is represented as a judge.

Verse 2

[2] Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

Stood — As ministers attending upon their Lord.

Seraphim — An order of holy angels, thus called from fire and burning, which this word properly signifies; to represent either their nature, which is bright and glorious, subtile, and pure; or their property, of fervent zeal for God's service and glory.

Covered — Out of profound reverence.

Verse 3

[3] And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Cried — Singing in consort.

Holy — This is repeated thrice, to intimate the Trinity of persons united in the Divine essence.

Glory — Of the effects and demonstrations of his glorious holiness, as well as of his power, wisdom, and goodness.

Verse 4

[4] And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

The posts — Together with the door itself. Such violent motions were commonly tokens of God's anger.

Smoak — Which elsewhere is a token of God's presence and acceptance, but here of his anger.

Verse 5

[5] Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

l am — I am a great sinner, as many other ways, so particularly by my lips. I am an unclean branch of an unclean tree; besides my own uncleanness, I have both by my omissions and commissions involved myself in the guilt of their sins.

Have seen — The sight of this glorious and holy God gives me cause to fear that he is come to judgment against me.

Verse 6

[6] Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

Flew — By God's command.

A coal — Both a token and an instrument of purification.

The altar — Of burnt-offering.

Verse 7

[7] And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

Laid it — So as only to touch my lips, and not to burn them; which God could easily effect.

Lo — This is a sign that I have pardoned and purged the uncleanness of thy lips.

Verse 8

[8] Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

Who — To deliver the following message. The change of the number, I and us, is very remarkable; and both being meant of one and the same Lord, do sufficiently intimate a plurality of persons in the Godhead.

Psalm 29

Verse 1

[1] Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.

Ye — Ye potentates and rulers of the earth.

Glory — By an humble and thankful acknowledgment of it.

Verse 2

[2] Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

Give, … — The honour which he deserves: own him as the Almighty, and the only true God.

Holiness — Or, in his holy and beautiful house.

Verse 3

[3] The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.

The waters — Above in the clouds, which are called waters, Genesis 1:7; Psalms 18:11. The Divine power displays itself in those high places, which are far above the reach of all earthly potentates.

Many — Upon the clouds, in which there are vast treasures of water, and upon which God is said to sit or ride, Psalms 18:10,11; 104:3.

Verse 5

[5] The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.

Lebanon — A place famous for strong and lofty cedars.

Verse 6

[6] He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.

Them — The cedars; which being broken by the thunder, the parts of them are suddenly and violently hurled hither and thither.

Sirion — An high mountain beyond Jordan joining to Lebanon. Lebanon and Sirion are said to skip or leap, both here, and Psalms 114:4, by a poetical hyperbole.

Verse 7

[7] The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.

The flames — The lightnings.

Verse 8

[8] The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.

Kadesh — An eminent wilderness, vast and terrible, and well known to the Israelites, and wherein possibly they had seen, and observed some such effects of thunder.

Verse 9

[9] The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.

To calve — Through the terror it causes, which hastens the birth. He names the hinds, because they bring forth their young with difficulty, Job 39:1,2.

Discovereth — Heb. maketh bare, of its trees, which it breaks or strips of their leaves.

Glory — Having shewed the terrible effects of God's power in other places, he now shews the blessed privilege of God's people, that are praising God in his temple, when the rest of the world are trembling under the tokens of his displeasure.

Verse 10

[10] The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever.

The flood — The most violent waters, which sometimes fall from the clouds upon the earth. These are fitly mentioned, as being many times the companions of great thunders. And this may be alleged as another reason, why God's people praised him in his temple, because as he sends terrible tempests and thunders, so he also restrains and over-rules them.

Sitteth — He doth sit, and will sit as king for ever, sending such tempests when it pleaseth him.

Romans 8:12-17

Verse 12

[12] Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

We are not debtors to the flesh — We ought not to follow it.

Verse 13

[13] For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

The deeds of the flesh — Not only evil actions, but evil desires, tempers, thoughts.

If ye mortify — Kill, destroy these.

Ye shall live — The life of faith more abundantly here, and hereafter the life of glory.

Verse 14

[14] For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God — In all the ways of righteousness.

They are the sons of God — Here St. Paul enters upon the description of those blessings which he comprises, Romans 8:30, in the word glorified; though, indeed, he does not describe mere glory, but that which is still mingled with the cross. The sum is, through sufferings to glory.

Verse 15

[15] For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

For ye — Who are real Christians.

Have not received the spirit of bondage — The Holy Ghost was not properly a spirit of bondage, even in the time of the Old Testament. Yet there was something of bondage remaining even in those who then had received the Spirit.

Again — As the Jews did before.

We — All and every believer.

Cry — The word denotes a vehement speaking, with desire, confidence, constancy.

Abba, Father — The latter word explains the former. By using both the Syriac and the Greek word, St. Paul seems to point out the joint cry both of the Jewish and gentile believers. The spirit of bondage here seems directly to mean, those operations of the Holy Spirit by which the soul, on its first conviction, feels itself in bondage to sin, to the world, to Satan, and obnoxious to the wrath of God. This, therefore, and the Spirit of adoption, are one and the same Spirit, only manifesting itself in various operations, according to the various circumstances of the persons.

Verse 16

[16] The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

The same Spirit beareth witness with our spirit — With the spirit of every true believer, by a testimony distinct from that of his own spirit, or the testimony of a good conscience. Happy they who enjoy this clear and constant.

Verse 17

[17] And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Joint heirs — That we may know it is a great inheritance which God will give us for he hath given a great one to his Son.

If we suffer with him — Willingly and cheerfully, for righteousness' sake. This is a new proposition, referring to what follows.

John 3:1-17

Verse 2

[2] The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

The same came — Through desire; but by night - Through shame: We know - Even we rulers and Pharisees.

Verse 3

[3] Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Jesus answered — That knowledge will not avail thee unless thou be born again - Otherwise thou canst not see, that is, experience and enjoy, either the inward or the glorious kingdom of God. In this solemn discourse our Lord shows, that no external profession, no ceremonial ordinances or privileges of birth, could entitle any to the blessings of the Messiah's kingdom: that an entire change of heart as well as of life was necessary for that purpose: that this could only be wrought in man by the almighty power of God: that every man born into the world was by nature in a state of sin, condemnation, and misery: that the free mercy of God had given his Son to deliver them from it, and to raise them to a blessed immortality: that all mankind, Gentiles as well as Jews, might share in these benefits, procured by his being lifted up on the cross, and to be received by faith in him: but that if they rejected him, their eternal, aggravated condemnation, would be the certain consequence.

Except a man be born again — If our Lord by being born again means only reformation of life, instead of making any new discovery, he has only thrown a great deal of obscurity on what was before plain and obvious.

Verse 4

[4] Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

When he is old — As Nicodemus himself was.

Verse 5

[5] Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit — Except he experience that great inward change by the Spirit, and be baptized (wherever baptism can be had) as the outward sign and means of it.

Verse 6

[6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh — Mere flesh, void of the Spirit, yea, at enmity with it; And that which is born of the Spirit is spirit - Is spiritual, heavenly, divine, like its Author.

Verse 7

[7] Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Ye must be born again — To be born again, is to be inwardly changed from all sinfulness to all holiness. It is fitly so called, because as great a change then passes on the soul as passes on the body when it is born into the world.

Verse 8

[8] The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

The wind bloweth — According to its own nature, not thy will, and thou hearest the sound thereof - Thou art sure it doth blow, but canst not explain the particular manner of its acting.

So is every one that is born of the Spirit — The fact is plain, the manner of his operations inexplicable.

Verse 11

[11] Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

We speak what we know — I and all that believe in me.

Verse 12

[12] If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

Earthly things — Things done on earth; such as the new birth, and the present privileges of the children of God.

Heavenly things — Such as the eternity of the Son, and the unity of the Father, Son, and Spirit.

Verse 13

[13] And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

For no one — For here you must rely on my single testimony, whereas there you have a cloud of witnesses: Hath gone up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven.

Who is in heaven — Therefore he is omnipresent; else he could not be in heaven and on earth at once. This is a plain instance of what is usually termed the communication of properties between the Divine and human nature; whereby what is proper to the Divine nature is spoken concerning the human, and what is proper to the human is, as here, spoken of the Divine.

Verse 14

[14] And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

And as Moses — And even this single witness will soon be taken from you; yea, and in a most ignominious manner. Numbers 21:8,9.

Verse 15

[15] That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

That whosoever — He must be lifted up, that hereby he may purchase salvation for all believers: all those who look to him by faith recover spiritual health, even as all that looked at that serpent recovered bodily health.

Verse 16

[16] For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Yea, and this was the very design of God's love in sending him into the world.

Whosoever believeth on him — With that faith which worketh by love, and hold fast the beginning of his confidence steadfast to the end.

God so loved the world — That is, all men under heaven; even those that despise his love, and will for that cause finally perish. Otherwise not to believe would be no sin to them. For what should they believe? Ought they to believe that Christ was given for them? Then he was given for them.

He gave his only Son — Truly and seriously. And the Son of God gave himself, Galatians 4:4, truly and seriously.

Verse 17

[17] For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world — Although many accuse him of it.

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Upper Room Ministries, a ministry of Discipleship Ministries

PO Box 340004

Nashville, Tennessee 37203-0004 United States

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Sermon Story "Seeing God's Holiness" by Gary Lee Parker for Sunday, 31 May 2015 with Scripture: Isaiah 6:1 In the year of King ‘Uziyahu’s death I saw Adonai sitting on a high, lofty throne! The hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 S’rafim stood over him, each with six wings — two for covering his face, two for covering his feet and two for flying. 3 They were crying out to each other,

“More holy than the holiest holiness

is Adonai-Tzva’ot!

The whole earth is filled

with his glory!”

4 The doorposts shook at the sound of their shouting, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then I said,

“Woe to me! I [too] am doomed! —

because I, a man with unclean lips,

living among a people with unclean lips,

have seen with my own eyes

the King, Adonai-Tzva’ot!”

6 One of the s’rafim flew to me with a glowing coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 He touched my mouth with it and said,

“Here! This has touched your lips.

Your iniquity is gone,

your sin is atoned for.”

8 Then I heard the voice of Adonai saying,

“Whom should I send?

Who will go for us?”

I answered, “I’m here, send me!”

Have you ever been somewhere where the death of a loved one and a leader you loved died? How did you grieve? Here we have Isaiah grieving the death of His beloved King of Israel. but in his grieving we find Isaiah in the Temple of God and God in all His Holiness is seen by Isaiah, As soon as Isaiah sees God in all His Holiness, he falls down and cries out that He is a sinner among a nation of sinners with unclean lips that is a nation of unclean lips. Even though Isaiah was a Holy man of God and chosen by God, he did not act like the Pharisee in the story Jesus told where the Pharisee compared his own holiness as better than the sinner laying prostate on the floor at the altar crying out to God for mercy. Instead, Isaiah was crying our for mercy from God and God responded by sending one of His Seraphims to pick a hot coal from the fire to touch the lips of Isaiah saying to him with this coal you are made Holy. How would you have related to this story? How do you respond when you are in the presence of a Holy God in private or public worship? How do you relate to God's Holiness with your unholiness? We come to seek more of God's Holiness as we come to eat the Body of Jesus and Drink His blood through the Partaking of the Holy Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist singing the Hymn "Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty" by Reginald Heber 

1. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! 

Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee. 

Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty, 

God in three persons, blessed Trinity! 

2. Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee, 

casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea; 

cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee, 

which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be. 

3. Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee, 

though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see, 

only thou art holy; there is none beside thee, 

perfect in power, in love and purity. 

4. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! 

All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea. 

Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty, 

God in three persons, blessed Trinity.  

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