D.C. train collision. At least four people are reported killed and dozens others injured in an early-evening collision and derailment on the Washington metro rail network. The two trains collided near the border of the District of Columbia and Maryland on the Metrorail system�s Red Line.
This is the "breaking news" this afternoon...the death toll has doubled from 2 to 4 during the last hour.
1-3 God is well-known in Judah; in Israel, he's a household name.
He keeps a house in Salem,
his own suite of rooms in Zion.
That's where, using arrows for kindling,
he made a bonfire of weapons of war.
4-6 Oh, how bright you shine!
Outshining their huge piles of loot!
The warriors were plundered
and left there impotent.
And now there's nothing to them,
nothing to show for their swagger and threats.
Your sudden roar, God of Jacob,
knocked the wind out of horse and rider.
7-10 Fierce you are, and fearsome!
Who can stand up to your rising anger?
From heaven you thunder judgment;
earth falls to her knees and holds her breath.
God stands tall and makes things right,
he saves all the wretched on earth.
Instead of smoldering rage�God-praise!
All that sputtering rage�now a garland for God!
11-12 Do for God what you said you'd do�
he is, after all, your God.
Let everyone in town bring offerings
to the One Who Watches our every move.
Nobody gets by with anything,
no one plays fast and loose with him. (The Message)
"If [God's] name is precious to himself, it is no ordinary pledge and security which he gives to our faith when he assures us that it is his will that the greatness of his power should be known in the preservation of his Church. Moreover, as the Church is a distinguished theatre on which the Divine glory is displayed, we must always take the greatest care not to shroud or bury in forgetfulness, by our ingratitude, the benefits which have been bestowed upon it, and especially those which ought to be held in remembrance in all ages."
"The Word of a Man"
James 5:12
But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your �yes� be yes and your �no� be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. (ESV)
God expects all of his people to pretty much mirror the characteristics that we have studied recently, in regard to elders and deacons. As we single out principles to help us prioritize our character, James gives some very good advice today about our words.
God takes the truth very seriously, and expects us to keep our word. We are not forbidden to make oaths, but what this passage is correcting is the idea that by swearing on something less than God, we can get by with breaking our word. As God's children, our word must be firm and sincere. We must live with honesty and integrity, especially in light of what we say we will do. It is better to say no than to say yes, not knowing if we can actually keep it.
"More Love"
Philippians 1:9
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment (ESV)
If we want grow in love, one way is to saturate our minds with Scripture, especially those which describe love. An obvious one, for many, is 1 Corinthians 13. Romans 13 also describes love.
We can also pray for the Holy Spirit to apply God's Word to our hearts and daily lives. We can ask God to help us love.
Finally, we must obey the commands. Love dictates certain things, such as doing no harm to our neighbors, meeting our neighbors' needs, forgiving our neighbors' wrongs against us, putting others' interests ahead of our own...you know, all that "easy" stuff. Just kidding about the easy part...
And teach me, oh, dear Lord, teach me to love. You first, then others.
Sorry for the rush job...
Grace and peace, friends.