In Isaiah 1:10-20, we see another case where the Israelites have turned away from God. The Israelites were still offering sacrifices, but they used them to attempt to manipulate God, so God rejected their worship. God wants worship from a sincere heart. He will not accept the so-called worship of those who mistreat others.

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Christ in His obedience corrected the wrong Adam did in his disobedience. Christ is not Adam’s successor but his Saviour. They are alike only in the sense that both had universal significance: Adam for death, Christ for Life. The key is the phrase “much more.” Whatever humankind has inherited from Adam, they have much more in Christ. By using the words “abound” and “reign” to describe the action of sin, death, and grace in human experience, Paul used the reality of sin and death as an illustration of the reality of grace, which is not always easy to understand.

Christ’s one act of salvation was far superior to Adam’s one act of rebellion. One Bible commentator said,” that the one single misdeed should be answered by judgment, this is perfectly understandable: that the accumulated sins and guilt of all the ages should be answered by God’s free gift, this is the miracle of miracles.” Christ’s reign in life is greater than Adam’s “reign” in death.

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One of the problems that pastors, church leaders and Christians have to face is that of false teachers. The problem has existed since the church was established. When false teachers get a foothold in a church, their influence can be most damaging. In that way, they are similar to the devil. Satan starts by introducing a little lie and casting doubt. False teachers do the same thing.

The characteristics of false teachers stand in stark contrast to the characteristics of faithful elders. These false teachers are rebellious, deceptive, and motivated by personal gain rather than by concern for the gospel. For example, some false teachers on the island of Crete taught that the Gentiles had to be circumcised and observe Jewish laws as part of their faith. This teaching caused confusion and dissention in many churches during Paul’s time. It was ultimately addressed at the Jerusalem Council, which is referred to in Acts 15.

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Psalm 27 reminds us that in times of joy or in days of distress, when we look for God, we will find Him when we remember what He has done for us in the past. We also find Him when we turn to the cross and the empty tomb. Jesus assures us that God has not forgotten us. God has said, “Seek my face,” and He is waiting to be found because, in Christ, He first sought and found us.

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In the passage we heard from Hebrews, the writer is explaining Jesus’ death on the cross in terms the Jews could understand. The writer talks about the fourth and final qualification of the high priest in the Temple-purity. Before the high priest could offer sacrifices for the sins of the people, he had to offer sacrifices for his own sins and those of his household. The writer emphasizes that Christ is superior to earthly high priests. Sacrifices were offered all the time because the people sinned all of the time. They needed a perfect priest and sacrifice to provide access to God permanently. Jesus is that permanent and perpetual priest.

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A Christian’s uniqueness in the world should be apparent in his or her morality, mood, money, mouth, and manners. To avoid sinning in the heat of anger, God’s people should not nurse, rehearse, discuss, or project their anger onto others. Instead, they should control their anger and deal with it quickly to prevent the enemy from gaining any ground in their hearts. Paul also calls us to honest labour as a sign of the newness of life. This honest labour is to be used to create something that can be given to someone who is needy. We are also to be kind to each other.

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One of our former rectors once told me that the prophecies of the Old Testament were fulfilled in the New Testament, and the reading we heard from Isaiah 2 is a good example. Isaiah talks about the coming of the Lord, which was fulfilled when Christ came to earth on the first Christmas over 2,000 years ago.

Isaiah had a vision for Jerusalem and the nation. He called for a spiritual renewal and a re-commitment to the covenant and trust in God. Isaiah saw Jerusalem and the Temple as potential beacons for all the nations. He called the people to be faithful to God, to put aside plans for a military solution to their problems and instead seek peaceful ways.

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If an angel said to you, “Your prayer is heard,” what would it mean for you? What is the “too good to be true” news in your life? You may have given up believing God can bring it about. You may think you’re too old to start something new and exciting. Remember that people in their nineties have written plays and governed nations. Whatever it is that might seem too good to be true for you, remember Zacharias.

His reaction to all that the angel had predicted was disbelief. It was all too good to be true. He was like Thomas, the disciple who doubted the Resurrection and said, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand in His side, I will not believe.” He was given proof, and he believed.

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All of us have had moments when we regretted things we did or said. Many of us think that our past sins or regrets have robbed us of many good years. Many of us wish that we could be like kids on a playground who have a concept of a “do-over.” When they’re playing kickball and the ball gets stuck in a tree, or when they’re playing basketball and the ball sticks between the backboard and the rim, a chorus of “do-over” spontaneously erupts. It’s an unspoken rule that every kid knows.

In Joel 2:23-32 God tells the Israelites that they can have a “do-over” if they repent. Joel foresaw a time of plenty, when the people would acknowledge the goodness and sovereignty of God. God promises to “repay” His people “for the years the locusts have eaten.” The locusts came as the result of sin, but in God’s grace He wanted to bring restoration. Joel prophesied that God would pour out his spirit on all humanity. We do not have to live in the past and live in defeat.

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The events in Genesis 28:10-17 took place just after Jacob cheated his brother Esau out of his birthright as Isaac’s firstborn son and after Jacob received the blessing that Esau was supposed to receive from their father Isaac. Consequently Esau threatened Jacob’s life. Jacob left home and headed out from Beersheba with the birthright, the blessing, and little else besides his own wits….or so it seemed!

At some stage of his journey, Jacob settled down for the night, picked a rock for a pillow, and tried to get some sleep. That is when God came to Jacob in a dream. In the dream Jacob was reminded that God was able and willing to maintain communications with His children even in the most desolate places and lonely times. During the dream God reiterated the covenant He had with Abraham. It described the blessing which would come through Jacob’s family to the whole world. But then God moved from generalities to specifics which were of great interest to Jacob. God promised that He would always be with Jacob. The promise of the divine presence would be both a source of encouragement and, at times, a source of embarrassment to Jacob as his life unfolded. Jacob realized for the first time in his life that he is not the centre of the universe.

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