Receiving June 7 worship scriptures

Scriptures for June 7
Genesis 12:1-9
Psalm 33:1-12
Romans 4:13-25
Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

This is a post you can just read through if you wish. It includes questions, suggestions or possibilities that you may want to ponder. And there's more. What I most hope you will do is participate by looking at the suggestions at http://charistis.blogspot.com/2008/03/receiving-word-as-spirit-and-life.html and then preparing your own notes from the worship scriptures for next Sabbath (or Sunday). Even if the church you attend doesn't focus on these scriptures, you can receive these scriptures and compare notes with others who are doing the same.

May 31 prayer for receiving
Ears, eyes, mind, heart--all made for receiving! Tune them, free them, to receive fully, as You desire. Your word expressed; my heart receiving it now as spirit and life.

Genesis 12:1-9
"The LORD had said to Abram: 'Get out of your country...'"
See all the ways movement is indicated in vss. 1-9: Get out (vs. 1), Abram departed (vs. 4), they departed (vs. 5), came to the land of Canaan (vs. 5), Abram passed through (vs. 6), he moved from there (vs. 8), Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south (vs. 9)

"I will bless you...
And you shall be a blessing." (vs. 2)
Bless is repeated five times in vss. 1-3. Bless. That's a word to keep growing into!

"Then the LORD appeared to Abram...
And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him." (vs. 7)
Abram "moved from there... pitched his tent... there he built an altar..." (vs. 8)
What do we do now days that compares to building an altar? Pitching his tent and building an altar went together for Abram. Some people have a room, or the corner of a room, in their home that is a place of prayer and worship. Some people have a container of some sort--a basket perhaps--that holds a portable "altar" for prayer and worship. Maybe these are ways God's people do today what Abram was doing when he built an altar.

Psalm 33:1-12
Rejoice... harp... instrument of ten strings... Sing to Him a new song... shout of joy. (vss. 1-3)

Why the rejoicing, the harp, the song, the shout of joy?
"For the word of the LORD is right,
And all His work is done in truth.
He loves righteousness and justice;" (vss. 4, 5)
For the word of the LORD is right--that's why the rejoicing!
God's word to Abram was immense: "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you; In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." And more. More to Abram. More in this Psalm:

"By the word of the LORD
the heavens were made,
And all the host of them
by the breath of His mouth...
For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast." (vss. 6, 9)

"The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
The plans of His heart to all generations." (vs. 11)
The Maker of the heavens and all their host has plans in His heart for all nations on earth. Plans of His heart. That is something to cherish and ponder.

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
And the people whom He has chosen as His own inheritance." (vs. 12)

Romans 4:13-25
"God, who gives life to the dead..." (vs. 17)
Abraham's body dead (vs. 19)
Sarah's womb dead (vs. 19)
Raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead (vs. 24)

The promise (vss. 13, 16, 20, 21)
The promise (how it was given, what it was, how it was fulfilled) unfolds the word as spirit and life.

"He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised he was also able to perform." (vss. 20, 21)
Being fully convinced. That's a whole person activity. That's reason and feeling, head, heart and more all integrated and sure of the same thing. And being fully convinced isn't the same as being stubbornly determined. Being fully convinced is a solid and settled state, but it isn't an effort-full, try harder, hang-in-there-no-matter-what state.

"...also for us." (vs. 24)
This is not just about an Old Testament man and nation. It was about Paul and the us around him, and the us around Paul extends into the present. It's for all of "us who believe in him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead."

Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
"...a man named Matthew..." (vs. 9)

The One who spoke the heavens and all their host into being
The One who shaped sea and land
The One with a heart plan for all nations, all generations
This One inviting one person
at a time
to follow Him.

An hour glass from eternity past to eternity future comes to it's narrowest place where Jesus is inviting one person to follow Him. It was just Matthew and Jesus. Matthew and Jesus with all of God's people before and after! The singularity is compelling, and with it comes infinite community. A yes response, a faith response, puts each one into the flow that comes from the glory of God and returns to the glory of God--glory shared by each one in the vast community of faith.

"Go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (vs. 13)
God desires mercy and not sacrifice. How does it affect me today to realize that? What have mercy and sacrifice each become in my experience?
It's occurring to me that sacrifice has more to do with achieving (and doing); mercy has more to do with receiving (and gifting).
Each day's view of life, with its monumental joy and grief, is making it increasingly important and comforting for me to do exactly what Jesus said--learn what "I desire mercy and not sacrifice" means. This gets to the heart of so much--so powerfully. The essential learning about mercy and sacrifice combines with something else that is full of power (God's) and powerlessness (mine): He didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. He sends me on my way learning what that means also.

"'My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.'" (vs. 18)
Life to the dead (Romans 4:17)