Podcasts about daily reading

Love to hear from you; “Send us a Text Message”Bishop Athanasius Schneider delivers a powerful message of hope and clarity for Catholics navigating the complexities of modern faith. Drawing from his deep knowledge of Church history and tradition, he illuminates the unbroken chain of teaching that connects today's believers directly to the apostles through the early Church Fathers."There is only one truth," Bishop Schneider declares with conviction, explaining that what makes Catholic faith distinct is its remarkable continuity across the centuries. He illustrates this through the example of St. Irenaeus, a second-century bishop who could trace his spiritual lineage directly to the Apostle John. This living connection between the apostolic age and our own time offers profound reassurance that authentic Catholic teaching remains unchanged despite cultural shifts and contemporary confusion.For those troubled by apparent contradictions or ambiguities they encounter in today's Church, Bishop Schneider offers practical wisdom: "When we are confused, please read the old catechisms. There is the crystal clear Catholic faith." Also, the Early Church Fathers, including St. Ignatius of Antioch's seven letters, St. Augustine's Confessions, and works by St. Justin Martyr and St. Basil on the Holy Spirit. The conversation explores Bishop Schneider's book "Matins with the Fathers," which provides commentary from Church Fathers on daily Scripture readings. Visit and Learn From Bishop Athanasius Schneider Here!: GloriaDei.ioReady to join the 20% who actively build a civilization of love? Download the Claymore Battle Plan at jp2renew.org and subscribe Jack's SubStack for access to our weekly formation materials. Your heart was made for more than anxiety—it was made for truth.Follow us on X! Contact us info@jp2renew.orgKeep Charlie Kirk and his family in your prayers!Support the show

Our Ezekiel reading (ch.7)  is initially about the disaster coming on the people still living in Jerusalem.  Ezekiel was a priest and is among those taken into captivity (ch.1 v.1) some years before Jerusalem is destroyed. Those taken away are earnestly hoping to return to the land of their birth, but God gives Ezekiel only bad news for them.Indeed the words he is inspired to write appear to have an application beyond the destruction of Jerusalem at that time – and we know there was a great and terrible destruction, including its' Temple, after the time of Jesus, which he prophesied and which we will read later this month.  Yet the language of God to Ezekiel is such that we can see a potential application to events in these final days, for more and more are turning their minds away from any belief in a Creator of any kind!  Contemplate God's attitude here and now and the potential for his actions!So many are living totally for the moment, for opportunities to follow fleshly desires each day. Note some of the words of the LORD that come to Ezekiel, “Now the end is upon you, I will judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations, my eye will not spare you … I will punish you for your ways … Thus says the Lord GOD; Disaster after disaster! Behold, it comes. An end has come; the end has come …” [v.3-6]This language is so emphatic that we are convinced it has a wider application than the impending news about the fall of Jerusalem and the Temple.  God's words through Ezekiel are repeated with emphasis in v.10-11; “Behold it comes! Your doom has come; the rod has budded. Violence has grown up into a rod of wickedness.  None of them shall remain, nor their abundance, nor their wealth …”    The abundance of Jerusalem had already been dissipated by previous conquests, so this is surely looking to more than the immediate situation.When we came to our Luke reading (ch.4) we noted in the preaching of John the Baptist words which have also not yet been fulfilled! They are about the work of the Messiah, that “his winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” [v.17] That has not happened – yet.   Long range prophecies are a feature of God's word!  What shocks await our world!? God says, “I will punish you for all your abominations  … disaster after disaster, behold it comes.”It was 12 years ago TODAY that the massive twin towers collapsed in New York!  How long before tomorrow?  Are you ready for tomorrow?  We will all need “the strength that God supplies” – read 1 Peter 4 v.7-11..

People boast today of everything they can which they hope will add to their prestige.  Politicians in particular arevery anxious about the image they are creating – what people think of them.  It has to be good or they will not get re-elected. Such is the growing noise from the US elections today.Our chapters in 2nd Corinthians today illustrate that attitudes like this were a problem at Corinth.   It is interesting to note Paul's tactic in writing his second letter; but first, his opening chapters include praise for the improving spirit in the ecclesia so that “in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ we will boast about you”(1 v.14).Paul's success in Corinth was creating envy and jealousy among others.   We note how those who have only a limited grasp of the spiritual way of thinking show how their minds are dominated by fleshly motivations; this is evident in what they talk about, which amounts to boastingPaul says that these, “commend themselves … they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.” [10 v. 12]  The real seriousness of this type of mind is that it is developed from the way of thinking that led to sin in the Garden of Eden, note how Paul makes this point. [11 v.3]At Corinth it was causing some to “be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ”   Paul says, “if someone comes and proclaims a different Jesus to the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.” [v.3,4] This can and does happen today, that is why there are so many different churches.     Our minds must have a constant input from the mind of God and his Son, through reading and meditation on his word or we will descend to human ways of thinking and boasting – because boasting is what it amounts to.  The present generation uses the word “ego.”  It is said that having self-esteem is very important and many evangelical churches delight to push this theme, but it is a theme with no basis in God's word, it undermines the spirit of humility.The atmosphere at Corinth was in danger of becoming parallel to that in Australia today.  We need God's word IN our thoughts every day to help keep out the fleshly attitudes that surround us.  Paul says, don't you realize Christ is IN you? Those who are baptised need to realize this as fully as they can – as must those who are thinking about baptism.7

Yesterday we started reading the intriguing prophecy of Ezekiel.  He is in Babylon with those taken captive there before Jerusalem fell, along with King Jehoiachin. This is recorded in 2 Kings 24 v.12-15.  It is in “the fifth year of the exile” [Ezek 1 v.2,3] that “the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel … and the hand of the LORD was upon him there.”  It maybe he was sent by the LORD to join the exiles. There are many varied prophecies and visions that the LORD reveals to him climaxing with a vision in his final 9 chapters of a wondrous temple that will come into being in the ultimate future of the world. In today's chapter he is told to preach to the exiles, and their attitude to his message have a number of comparisons with attitudes today.  He is told, “I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels who have rebelled against me.”[v.3]  He is told, “The descendants also are impudent and stubborn … And whether they hear or refuse to hear … they will know that a prophet has been among them … Be not afraid of them … nor be dismayed at their looks …” [[v.4-6]We see a real comparison with the situation and attitudes today when there is an inclination to give up on efforts to witness about the word of God.   But the final “ingathering” (see Matt. 22 v.9,10) must be completed and “the labourers are few” [Matt 9 v.27].   The vast majority we preach to  “refuse to hear” – but we recall the parable of Jesus about the final ingathering before his return when the “master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people …. “ [Luke 14 v.23] and these words, we feel, have an application to us today.  Let us renew our efforts in the area in which we live.So let us take the lesson of the LORD's instructions to Ezekiel to heart in whatever situation we are in and make known God's word in these last days so that “whether they hear or refuse to hear” – we can really feel we are carrying out our responsibility before God.  This is an essential part of our “sowing” – noting the point Paul makes in today's 9th chapter of 2nd Corinthians.  “whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” [v.6] so, while Paul is not applying this primarily to preaching, let us take (and create) opportunities to sow the word of God in the ears of the those with whom we have contact so that “they will know that a prophet has been among them” and we show we are heeding Paul's words to “abound in every good work”[v.8] 

  What thought challenging verses we had today as we started reading 2nd Corinthians.  Paul writes of his experiences of afflictions and the “comfort” God gives him to cope with them – and yet his comfort is also founded on the comfort believers give to each other.  “The father of mercies,” writes Paul, “comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves have been comforted by God.” [1 v.3,4]     Paul, like Jeremiah, had had frightening experiences – he tells them, “we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.  Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely, not on ourselves but on God …” [v.8,9]     What intense faith challenging experiences Paul had!  But such experiences are – faith building – as a result of passing through them they lead him to, as with all committed believers, to  “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience” [Heb.10 v.22]      We note how Paul went on to express his convictions of God's overriding care, “He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us.  On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.” [v.10]     Then Paul makes a point we must take careful note of – “You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of the many” [v.11]     And in praying may it be we can, like Paul, do so with “a clear conscience”  for in the next verse we read, “For our boast is this: the testimony of our conscience that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God …”      And “by the grace of God” may we all learn to rely not on ourselves but on God”  As this world falls into ever greater disarray and increasing ungodliness that will become even more essential3

The Lamentations of Jeremiah is not a book we “enjoy” reading.  But do we only read those things that give a positive message and we find encouraging?  Actually there are some gems hidden among this prophet's words of despair and distress.  The first 2 chapters are about how God's anger with Jerusalem finally overflows into action; his mercy toward the people of His Holy City finally comes to an end, his judgments are poured out.  Is our world today going to be a parallel to this?  His word is available in all languages – yet is largely ignored – or scoffed at?The emphasis in just about everything the churches say is that we serve a God of love, that this is the total focus of God's character. There is little or no thought that his anger could be poured out today on an increasingly godless world.  But twice it happened to God's holy city – Jerusalem; they were terrifying times.In today's chapter 3, Jeremiah suddenly expresses his own feelings, his own experience of overwhelming personal despair, “though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer” (v.8)  That reminds us of the final words of Jesus on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”Yet in his Lamentations, as with David's Psalms, what begins with despairing thoughts, gets replaced by more positive ones. See how Jeremiah lifts his mind to a higher plain, “but this I call to mind and therefore I have hope” (v.21).  Then come the words that have been made into a much loved hymn about the mercies of God “they are new every morning: great is your faithfulness” (v.23)  Next he writes, The LORD is good to those who wait for him … who seek him” (v.25)  Will the Lord have reason to be good to you?In conclusion, take special note of v. 27 … it is good for us to bear the yoke in our youth!   Bearing the yoke?  If when we are young our lives are easy, there are no problems, no challenges, nothing to make us anxious; it will be hard to develop a good character; worse still, we will have little inclination toward being yoked to Jesus Christ and to carry his cross (meditate on John 15 v.18-19). It may be the lot of those who are truly yoked to Christ to follow in the footsteps of Jeremiah to some degree.

Today we read one of the most meaningful chapters in the Bible > Ch. 15 of 1 Corinthians. Many verses “jump out” inviting our meditation. The one we have chosen to really reflect upon is v10.  Paul laments on his unworthiness, but then says, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.  On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God.”We hear the word grace used a lot in Christian circles.  There are popular hymns about “amazing grace” and how the Lord has “saved a wretch like me.”  Careful Bible readers more than anyone else appreciate “the wonder of his grace.”  But we need to thoughtfully reflect on the example of Paul and his utter commitment of service to his Lord to see that “his grace toward me was not in vain.”No one can earn salvation so that they deserve it!  We must ask ourselves in accepting “his grace” – ‘What kind of motivation is this creating in my heart?  Can it be that for all too many in these “last days” that his grace is taken for granted and it fails to motivate them to live really committed lives, failing to follow the example of Paul?Let us realize that our commitment is really seen in all the small things we do (or don't do) every day.  Paul urged his companions in this.  We will soon read in 2 Cor. 8 how he “urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace.”   That “act of grace” was in “taking part  in the relief of the saints” who were in “extreme poverty” [v.2,4]   Paul tells the Corinthians,  “… you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you – see that you excel in this act of grace also.” [v.6,7]

Today we read 1 Corinthians ch 14 which completes the Apostle's message about Spirit Gifts.  Paul is earnestly exhorting them to properly use the spirit gifts they were privileged to possess. The first verse stresses, “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”   Prophecy does not mean to predict the future but to speak to and on behalf of God; to be God's representative among men, which may, on occasion include warnings and predictions about the future, it certainly did with Jeremiah.     Today we read Jeremiah's Lamentations: they were written after the terrible fall and destruction of Jerusalem. He laments in his first chapter,, “how she (Jerusalem) took no thought of her future, therefore her fall is terrible … O LORD, behold my affliction …”[v.9]  His intimate relationship with God is an example for us.  As with Jeremiah, it will sustain us if we are alive when the “fall” of our world takes place, for it is going to be “terrible.”   It will be essential to have a true relationship with God and his Son for they will deliver all who possess this – as we will read tomorrow in the final 9 verses of ch. 15 in 1 Corinthians.     Paul challenges the believers in Corinth, “do not be children in your thinking.  Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.” [14 v.20] . They are keen to use the “gifts” God's Spirit created in them, so he tells them, “since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.” [v.12] and, as we saw yesterday, they should “earnestly desire the higher gifts.” [12 v.31]     In today's chapter Paul makes it plain that the least of the gifts, “tongues” which are mentioned last, should not be used.  It is unwise to use them in church, “they are a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers” [v.22] as on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2 v.5-11).  Paul says, “If therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say you are out of your minds?”[v.23]  But those who prophesy, that is, preach God's word, as Jeremiah did to those in Jerusalem, and an “outsider enters, he is convicted” (in his thinking) and “the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.” [v.24,25]     Do we have “secrets” in our hearts we wrestle with?   May all our “thinking be(come) mature” so that we fully realize that God and the Saviour are really among us, if we invite them!   Look at 2nd Corinthians, on Wednesday we will read, “God who said, ‘let light shine out of darkness.' Has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” [4 v,6]   May we more fully “let light shine .. in our hearts.””

We are told in several chapters in Acts, quite apart from the initial outpouring of the Spirit Gifts to the 12 disciples on the day of Pentecost, that the Spirit was given by the laying on of the Apostles hands (see 8 v.17) or the direct action of their unseen Lord (10 v.44) upon new believers     .Clearly the gifts were a significant factor in the spread of the Gospel message and the functioning of the growing community of believers.  The converts would not have had access to any Bible – apart from believers who had been and maybe still were associated with a synagogue which possessed the scrolls of the ancient writings, but most of these would be of the Mosaic Law which was now superseded; frictions with unconverted Jews would probably hinder or prevent access in most if not all cases.     Today's chapters (12 & 13) are the first of 3 chapters in Paul's first letter to the Corinthians in which we learn extensive details of the spirit gifts the Lord made available to the first generation or two of believers. Unfortunately, as seems to be always the case with human nature, there was some misuse of the gifts.     There is a misconception among some that the gift of the Spirit was only the ability to speak in other languages, but today we see how Paul writes, “To each is given a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.  To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, to another the utterance of knowledge … to another faith … “ [12 v.7-9]  It is the “Spirit” which “apportions to each one individually” [v.11]     What wonderful experiences – yet, such is human nature, our reading of the 3 chapters shows there were aspects of jealousy between the recipients.  The ideal was that they should harmoniously team together looking to “the head” for Paul had written, “the head of every man is Christ” [11 v.3] – and the result should be a wonderful team spirit.     At the end of ch. 12 Paul tells them, “God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers  …” &c [v.28]  Then, after telling them to “earnestly desire the higher gifts” (note that ‘tongues' is listed last) he says, “And I will show you a still more excellent way.”     His next words are (start of ch. 13) “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong …”  There follows words describing what real “love” is,  for “love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends”  whereas the gifts were to “pass away.” [v.7,8]  Let us fully follow the “more excellent way.”

We have nearly completed the book of Jeremiah.  Today's 51st chapter of 64 verses is quite remarkable, quite challenging.  It is all about Babylon and God's judgments on her, that mighty city and the country of the same name. She had destroyed Jerusalem and God's great Temple and taken all its treasures. She is led by a king who, up to this time, had been all conquering.  The book of Daniel fills out the details – and then her climactic collapse.Here in Jeremiah we have the Lord's prophecies of that collapse – and we are told, “Jeremiah wrote in a book all the disaster that should come upon Babylon” [v.60]  Seraiah is commissioned by Jeremiah, “When you come to Babylon , see that you read all these words, and say, ‘O LORD, you have said concerning this place that you will cut it off, so that nothing shall dwell in it, neither man nor beast, and it shall be desolate forever…. Thus shall Babylon sink, to rise no more …” [v.62-64]”This is still the case today, Saddam Hussein sought to restore some part of Babylon and ‘seat' himself in it, his effort was a disaster.  However, we recognize in some of the wording of this chapter that the LORD caused Jeremiah to “see” far beyond the time of the Babylon he knew. Some of his words are plainly echo'd in the book of Revelation. Babylon is a Greek word, but in Hebrew it is the word “Babel” – and we know what happened to Babel.The name Babylon is symbolic in Revelation of the entire anti-God attitude in the world since the time of Jesus.  In these “last days” it also finds expression in the anti-Israel spirit that now so inhabits the world, especially in the Middle East.      In our chapter, verse 48 is prophetic of a time when “the heavens and the earth, and all that is in them, shall sing for joy over Babylon …”  The next verse says, “Babylon must fall for the slain of Israel, just as for Babylon have fallen the slain of all the earth.”Earlier verses even more clearly have a latter day application, “… this is the time of the LORD's vengeance … Babylon was a golden cup in the LORD's hand, making all the earth drunken … therefore the nations went mad.  Sudden Babylon has fallen and been broken … for her judgment has reached up to heaven, and has been lifted up even to the skies.” [v.6-9]      These words are echo'd and quoted in Rev. 14 v.8; 18 v.3,5-6, 23 etc.  God will surely deal with this latter day Babel; when Babel sinks, may we be so related to things Divine that we do not sink with it.

Our reading of 2 Kings 2 today records the transfer of responsibility before God from Elijah to Elisha.Elisha requests, “Let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” [v.9] and it is significant that it is recorded of Elisha that he ultimately performs twice as many miracles as Elijah.  However, in doing God's most important work and conveying God's messages it is evident that Elijah is the greater prophet, he is the one with Moses on the mount when Jesus is transfigured.Elisha's sight of his dramatic departure when “Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven” [v.11], is proof to him that he has a double portion of his “spirit.”   But what kind of “heaven” does he go to?  The next use of the Hebrew word for heaven is in ch. 7 v.2 about whether the “windows of heaven” could be opened to provide flour and food! The rain comes from heaven (eg 1 Kings 8 v.25).  The fact that a letter later came from Elijah to Jehoram, the son-in-law of Ahab, makes it clear Elijah was still somewhere on the earth (see 2 Chron.21 v.12).So God removes Elijah from the scene because his work is finished, just as John the Baptist, whom Jesus refers to as a promised Elijah (Matt. 17 v.11,12) came – and his work was finished in “turning the hearts” (Malachi 4 v.6) of people ready for the ministry of Christ.  He was removed from the scene to leave the way clear for Jesus.  The widespread impact of his work is clear from the way Paul encounters those who only knew the baptism of John – who were a great distance from Israel (see Acts 18 v.25  19 v3,4)The heavens of the sky are to be the scene of the most dramatic events yet!  When Jesus returns those alive will see him “coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels … and they will gather his elect …” [Matt. 24 v.30,31]   The elect are God's people Israel to be once more gathered from the four winds to Israel reestablished under the new King Jesus. The clouds of heaven are those immortalised saints who come with Jesus (1 Thess. 4:16-18).  Jesus says, “all the tribes of the earth will mourn … the sun will be darkened … the powers of the heavens will be shaken..” [v.29]  Some think this means the political heavens, but it seems that is has the dual meaning which also includes the literal heavens.The world has witnessed dramatic events in the past, and frightening events in the present are increasing, but the most dramatic times of all are still ahead!  How soon?  Watch the Middle East!  Let us make sure our faith is as strong as possible – and that we each have a real relationship with our Saviour.

The above saying was spoken by Israel's bad king Ahab to Elijah when the prophet challenged him as he took possession of Naboth's vineyard – after his evil wife Jezebel had organised the death of Naboth.  Yet Elijah had only “found” Ahab because God had directed him, he was acting for God.     Let us make sure we are always aware, as Ahab wasn't, of the all seeing eye of God. We read earlier this month of Jeremiah's prayer to the LORD, “O great and mighty God … the LORD of hosts, great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of men rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his (or her) deeds” [Ch.32 v.18,19].Ahab was a man of weak character, manipulated by an evil wife; both came to what we would call a ‘sticky end'!  Their attitude, especially Jezebel's, created problems for those who had allowed themselves to be associated with them. “The elders and the leaders who lived with Naboth in his city” [1 Kings 21 v.8] obeyed the wicked Jezebel when she required them to set a trap for Naboth and get “two worthless men” to bring false charges against him leading to his death [v.10].There is a lesson in this for us – to avoid any situation which has the potential to oblige or force us to do something contrary to our conscience – for it is vital that our conscience is always activated to follow divine principles.     Ahab had a no conscience and it would be tragic if we ever found ourselves descending into developing a character like his. What kind of mentality caused him to say to Elijah, “Have you found me, Oh my enemy?” [v.20]  Listen again to Jeremiah's words from God. “Am I a God at hand, declares the LORD, and not a God afar off?  Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth …” [Ch.23 v,23,24]  The world around us is more unconscious of this than ever – and, in today's world,  the challenge to our faith is greater than ever – for faith has to show itself by actions.

Four times the above phrase is used by Paul in our chapter (6) of 1st Corinthians today.  Many believers there were spiritually blind to the follies of the behaviour that they had slipped back into.     It happened then, it happens today.   It appears to be worse among those who proclaim that once you are saved you are saved for always regardless of the nature of your future sins;  that attitude is specifically condemned in Hebrews 10 v.26-31.Now it is true that God is merciful and forgiving and David is the supreme example of this, but it is folly to think he turns a ‘blind eye' to sins, he did not with David. How could a righteous God overlook the serious specific moral failures that were happening in Corinth.We read, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived” [v.9];  yet such is human nature we can indulge in self-deception.    Now while we acknowledge the justice of his condemnation of “the sexually immoral … adulterers …  (and those) who practice homosexuality” we must not overlook that he also says “.. the thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God” [v9-10].Paul then says, “And such were some of you.  But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” [v.11].Sexual misbehaviour is a special target of his concern and he makes the point, “The body is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” [v.13].  This takes us back to what we read in Chapter 3, “Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you” [v.16]  There is a sense in which we have the Holy Spirit!  But that sense is that his Spirit is with us and watches over us.Returning to Ch. 6, we now note v.15, “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?  Shall I then make them members of a prostitute? Never!”  In v.18 we read “Flee from sexual immorality” – don't just avoid it.Finally, and most significant of all look at the last 2 verses; “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”  Do you not KNOW?   It is not head knowledge is it!  It is heart knowledge!  Do you possess it?

Today we start reading Paul's letters to the Corinthians. The believers there had been converted from the foolish philosophies of the Greeks who believed in a spirit after-life; also in many gods of their imagination – of whom they erected idols. We have had a parallel experience in going into Indian temples in recent years..Paul says, “The Jews demand signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles.”  We can understand their reaction to a message built around a man who was crucified!   But that was the ‘bare bones' of the picture!What a wonderful meaning to life and of hope in the future sprang from the terrible event at Calvary that we have just read in Mark's Gospel.  The next words of Paul are, “but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” [ch.1 v.22-25]Paul then asks them to “consider your calling, brothers; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.  But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” [v.28,29]   The scribes and the Pharisees were brought to nothing!The worldly wise indulge in another kind of boasting today – that, in the ‘wisdom' they have acquired through present human ‘scientific' deductions,  they have come to the ‘knowledge' that there is NO God!   In contrast, our wisdom is to recognise what turned the thinking in the world of the First Century upside down – as to the meaning of life; “It was not a wisdom of this age” [2 v.6] says Paul, then he stresses that, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God, that we might understand the things freely given to us by God.  And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom, but taught by the Spirit… [v.12,13]And God's Spirit caused Paul and the other apostles to write things down so that we can feed our minds on this spirit inspired word.  Remember how Jesus told his disciples, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” [John 6 v.63]  Let us make sure our minds carefully and prayerfully feed on God given food every day.

Today we completed reading the Gospel of Mark. One needs to compare all 4 Gospels to get a full picture of events after Christ rose from the dead. Such was the awesome sight of Christ's horrible death on the cross, whether seen from nearby or from afar, that his followers could not begin to imagine he could rise from the dead again – as had Lazarus:  the one who had the power to raise others was dead himself.Mary Magdalene, according to Mark, was the first one that Jesus appeared to (ch. 16 v.9) which is parallel with the detailed account in John's gospel (ch,20 v.11-18) .  In Mark we read “she went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept.  But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.” [v.10,11]The next 2 verses are a summary of what is recorded in Luke 24 v.13-33 of the 2 disciples to whom, an unrecognised Jesus talked on the road to Emmaus – and made their “hearts burn” as he opened to them the meaning of Scripture – obviously prophecies, now fulfilled in recent events – then followed their astonished recognition of him as they “brake bread” – what a shock when they saw his hands!Mark says, “they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them”.  [v.14] Jesus appears and tells them to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel …” [v.15] which is repeated as he is about to ascend to heaven before their astonished gaze. (Acts 1 v.8,9) followed by the challenging words of the angels “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw him go …”Looking at Mark again, he stresses  the final commission of Jesus', “”Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel …” [v.15] and the commission to do that is now at last just about completed.  But is enough stress being put upon what the Gospel actually is?  Paul, in writing to the Galatians expresses his astonishment that already some were “turning to a different gospel” [1 v.7] and makes the point “that God … preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham …” [ch.3 v.8] of the blessing to come on the nations. Christ warned his hearers, “there will be weeping … when you see Abraham … in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves cast out.” [Luke 13 v.28]  Let us believe the original gospel.Returning to Mark – he quotes one of the final points of Jesus that was an essential part of the preaching; “Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” [v.16] Everyone must face the question, “Do you believe what Jesus actually taught?'  Sadly, very few are saying ‘Yes' today.

 One of the outstanding characteristics of human nature is the capacity to be jealous, to envy others; many advertising tactics exploit this. The gospels repeatedly show us that those in positions of authority were envious of the great popularity Jesus enjoyed.  Our ‘democratic' societies have elections every few years and we witness the clash of ego's between those seeking the prestige of being in government.    As we read Mark 15 we see that it was easy for Pilate to “perceive that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered (Jesus) up.”[v.10]  But Pilate was also a man of the world, so “wishing to satisfy the crowds … having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified” [v.15]  We need to put the 4 Gospels together to get a full picture of the process; they all illustrate the envious mood of the advocates raising their voices against Jesus..     Human elections these days are full of efforts to satisfy the majority, but they never remain satisfied for long.  With what cynicism did those who had been envious of Christ call out and “mocked him” on the cross, “saying, ‘He saved others, he cannot save himself. Let Christ the king of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” [v.31,32]     How shocked they would have been if that had happened!  How shocked the world will be when Christ does come down – from heaven. Remember what we read yesterday in ch. 14; he told the High Priest, “you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” [v.62]     All envy will vanish at that time – to be replaced by utter awe for “the powers in the heavens will be shaken” [13 v.25] and “he will send out the angels to gather his elect” [v.27] – all those whose character has been the very opposite of envy!   Paul perfectly describes the character of the elect, “Love is patient and kind: love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant … rejoices with the truth … Love never ends.” [1 Cor. 13 v.4-8]   It will never end in God's kingdom, but we must practice it now in getting rid of all tendency to envy.

As we read Jesus' parable about the tenants in the vineyard today (Mark 17 v.1-9) and the treatment they meted out to any servants that came to them on behalf of the owner seeking his share of the fruit, our thoughts went quite naturally to what we had just read in Jeremiah who brought from God messages that did not please the leading men of his day.  All the counsellors of the king saw his words as undermining them, they did not accept his version as to the attitude of God towards them despite the fact that his warnings had so far proved true.They “treated him shamefully” putting him in the waterless cistern so that he sank in the mud at the bottom.  (ch. 38 v.4-6).   It is significant that it is a Gentile, an Ethiopian, that alerts the King to his plight and rescues him (v.7-13); this is parallel to some of the experiences of the apostle Paul..Returning to the parable of Jesus we can see its application not only to how the tenants killed Jesus the son of the owner, but to the treatment through the centuries of those who are faithful to the truths God has left on record in the scriptures. How many cling to their own distorted philosophies and, as Paul complained, “exchanged the truth about God for a lie” [Rom. 1 v.25]Our chapter today tells us how Jesus tackled the Sadducees over this.  They deny there is to be a resurrection. Jesus rebukes them saying you “are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God” [v.24] He says that those “who rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.” [v.25]  How vital that we “know … the Scriptures.”On another occasion Jesus said “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out” [Luke 13 v.28] That it is a literal kingdom on earth is made plain in the next verse, “and people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God.”Together with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will be such as Jeremiah and, most likely, “the scribe” who “answered wisely” – as we read in today's chapter – so that Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” [v.34] We must each ask ourselves, ‘How far am I from the Kingdom of God?'

The disciples of Jesus had more remarkable experiences than any other group of human beings. The sudden stilling of the storm on the Lake of Galilee was one event that particularly astonished them, but in today's 10th chapter of Mark we may have a sense of surprise at the cause behind the statement,  “And his disciples were amazed at his words.”     Jesus had just said, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God” [v.23,24].  His comment was the sequel to a situation when an earnest man ran up to him and said “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” [v.17] Jesus says, “You know the commandments and spells out most of them, and he responds, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth” [v.20] “And Jesus, looking at him, loved him.”But the love of Jesus did not blot out a fatal flaw in the man's character, Jesus said, “You lack one thing.”  The Master who sees and knows all things told him to use his “great possessions” in helping the poor.     “Sell all that you have” he was told – but that was not the end of Christ's words; but the man's thinking had collapsed over that request.The climax was a wonderful invitation, “come follow me… you will have treasure in heaven…” (v,21)  But his mind could not jump the hurdle of his trust in wealth and “he went away sorrowful.”  It was this event which caused Jesus to comment to his disciples about wealth and the great difficulties their possession cause for people who possess them.  It amazed them!.This brings our minds to bear on today's readings in 1 Kings ch. 10 about Solomon's great wealth, that he “excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.” [v.23]      But in the end his riches distracted him “so Solomon did not wholly follow the LORD” [ch. 11 v.6] and the lack of wisdom of his son Rehoboam led to a great loss of them.(ch.12)  Solomon became obsessed by possessions (see what he confesses in Ecclesiastes 1 & 2).And us?  Our world is full of things to distract us, many of us – from Jesus' perspective are ‘wealthy' compared to previous generations.  Jesus says to us, “Come follow me”   If we have said, or decide to say, “Yes Lord” – let us do so – making sure there are no earthly possessions which are distracting us. Those who “follow me”, says Jesus “receive a hundredfold now in this lime … and in the age to come, eternal life.” [v.30].     This was the Apostle Paul's experience, he expresses his position very succinctly, “as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, as poor, yet making many rich, as having nothing, yet possessing everything.” [2 Cor.6 v.10]

We live in a world in which most people do not want to feel ashamed of anything.  Lawyers grow rich out of the efforts of some to camouflage over their failures and wrongdoing.  But there can be no effective camouflage before God – so we must not be influenced by the attitudes that surround us.We read today how Jesus had a wide audience “the crowds with his disciples” when “he said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it … what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?  For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” [Mark 8 v.34-37]Those who fail to put God first in their thinking will not know they have forfeited their life, that is their hope of eternal life, until – it is too late!  We must not miss the vital point Jesus makes, “For whoever is ashamed of me … “ Jesus will also “be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father …”The words of Solomon have heart searching parallels with the words of Jesus.  Look at the words he used in his prayer to God as he dedicated the marvellous Temple. We read today of the ark being brought from the Tabernacle and put in “its place in the inner sanctuary of the house (Temple) in the Most Holy Place.” [1 Kings 8 v.6}.“Then Solomon stood before the altar of the L:ORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.” [v.22] There follows a remarkable prayer: it is far more than a prayer of praise.What we need to note most of all are his references to the attitudes of the hearts of those praying – and God's awareness of this.  As “you listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray …” [v.30] “forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways – for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind” [v.39] “… if they repent with all their mind and with all their heart” [v.48]In finishing his prayer  he tells the people “The LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers.  May he not leave or forsake us, that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways …” [v.57,58], telling the people, “Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the LORD our God …” [v.61]     Those with such a heart will never feel “ashamed” of confessing their belief and faith. Let us shine as lights in the darkness of this world and in word and deed “may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” [1 Peter 2 v.9]

Although atheism is rife in our country, is not an even greater disaster those who go to places of Christian worship and yet, in God's eyes, fail to offer to him the heart-felt worship he seeks. The wide variety of Churches must surely indicate this.   But we must avoid a judgmental attitude, that is God's prerogative, however we cannot help seeing some of the differences between first century Christianity and that which exists today. .Our first aim must be to make sure we ourselves are approaching God and His Son in the way he desires.Our second aim should be to try to help others whom we fear are failing in their approach to effectively worship God.  Now Jesus, in confronting this failure, bluntly said that the type of worship he was seeing was ”in vain.” How tragic that any worship is in vain.  One cannot totally blame the atheist and agnostic when they turn their backs on Christianity as they see such a contradictory mix of churches .A major reason why we read the Bible every day is to get a right understanding of what God and his Son Jesus, require of us. Only through God's word do we learn how they should be served and worshipped.In today's reading (Mark 7) Jesus calls the Pharisees and Scribes “hypocrites”[v.6], that is, people who put on a false front.  He quotes what God caused Isaiah to prophecy (as in his 29th chapter v.13); for God declared, “This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, in vain do they worship me; teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.”[v.7]How much worship today is pleasing to God?  Only God knows, but the above quotation shows there are two aspects we must get right.  Our attitude of heart, worship is not just a ritual, it must reflect the desires we feel in our heart.  Secondly, that the things we teach and believe are truly confirmed by God's word.Words we read a week ago in the last chapter of Romans spring to mind, “watch for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine you have been taught; avoid them.  For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites …” [v.17,18]  Let us make sure our appetite is fed every day by the word of God, the words of Jesus ringing in our minds, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” [John 6 v.35].

Today's reading in 1 Kings 6 describes how Solomon in the 4th year of his reign began to build that remarkable temple on the mount in Jerusalem. This is what his father wanted to build, it took him 7 years (v.38) and “when the house was built; it was with stone prepared in the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built”[v.7]Imagine those 7 years, there has never been a building site like it. The stone almost certainly came from a quarry right next to, if not partly under the present walls of the city that the Saracens rebuilt 500 years ago.  I have been down into it, one walks into history, the stones for the Wailing Wall also came from there, you can see where they were cut out and the faulty ones they left behind.There are references throughout the chapter to overlaying all the stones with cedar and then the cedar with pure gold (v.18,21,22), it would have been totally awesome to work there and see it completed.There is the little word “IF” in verse 12 that we simply must take notice of – “concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you which I spoke to David your father and I will dwell among the children of Israel.”[v.12,13]This principle of God applied to all Solomon's descendants.  In Jeremiah we are reading of the last king, a useless ruler, and there came the terrible destruction of the temple and the city.Let us realize that God looks for a house to dwell in today! Look at 1 Peter 2 v.4,5 ; “As you come to him, a living stone, rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house …”  Can you sense that spiritual house?  Can you sense you are being shaped, as “a living stone” to fit into God's building?  Remember that little word  “IF” !!  Are you co-operating with God so that his “spiritual house” is taking proper shape.  Sadly, there are stones he rejects, they cannot be shaped as God desires..Paul complained of those who were not “holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God” (Coloss. 2 v.19)Would he make the same complaint today?  Paul bluntly told the Corinthians (2nd letter ch. 6 v.1) they should be “working together with God”  Let us, in a spiritual sense, build our lives, so that we will be fit for a place in God's “Temple” – a temple that will last for ever.