Did you enjoy chewing on last week's verse? I thought it was so beautiful. If you weren't able to come to one of Barb's classes this week, or if you're in the online group, the recording has been published on the LPC website. Click Here to download it (or right click the link and save it)
I know that my summary of our class won't be nearly as elegant as Barb's words, but I will do my best to recap this week's lesson! This week Barb really focused on the words "Arise" and "Come" from our verse. She referenced several passages (among many) that she found which use those words. I encourage you to look up Micah 7:8 and also read the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) and the story of Lazarus (John 11:1-43).
With the story of the prodigal son- we see a picture of who our God really is. We don't deserve His love, grace, and mercy, but before we even have a chance to come groveling at His feet, He calls out to us and welcomes us with joyful open arms. In the story of Lazarus, Jesus calls the dead man to "come out!" It is such a humbling picture to see our Lord and Savior grieved by this fallen world, empathizing with his loved ones and friends over death (even though he knew what was to come). He WEPT! Then, he called Lazarus out of the grave and back to life. Although in this instance Jesus chose to bring Lazarus back to life in the earthly sense, isn't it even more amazing that Christ calls all of his children to eternal life? We are all just as dead as Lazarus without Christ. But, while we were still dead in our sins, he called us to an eternal life with him. What a rescuer. We are the prodigal son, the lost sheep, and yet he has called us to ARISE and come away.
Barb also read two stories. The first one was from the Jesus Storybook Bible, and it was the story of Jairus's Daughter (Mark 5:21-43). In this story he "reaches down into death" and pulls the little girl back into life." As mentioned above, Jesus reaches down into death and calls all of us to RISE to enjoy eternal life with him.
The second story was from "Tales of the Kingdom" by David and Karen Mains. The story was about a girl named "Dirty". Boy was this girl dirty. She was so dirty and she refused to love people or even be loved BY people. She preferred to be with the pigs... talking like the pigs and eating their slop. When offered real food, love, or warmth, she would grit her teeth and refuse. For the sake of brevity I will leave out the backstory and details (listen to the recording!), but in the end she has an encounter with the REAL King. He called to her, he made her new- the "Clean One", and full of love like she could have never imagined. You really need to listen to the lesson for the full story- you won't regret it- as it is a beautiful picture of what Christ has done for us. All of us are like the little girl "Dirty". We prefer the slop of this world and are distracted by its dusty garbage, but once the King calls us to come, we become new and beautiful.
Let's continue to meditate on our previous passages, but it's time to start munching on our new verse for next week!
#3 HE DID IT!
ISAIAH 53:4-6
Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
1) Please listen to Chuck Parker's sermon from this past Sunday - Exodus 19 Click Here (or right click and "Save Target As")
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