June 15th

Deuteronomy 20     Isaiah 47     Psalms 107     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

It appears that this chapter in Isaiah was written about the time that Hezekiah was king of Judah (729-687 BC ) and foretold the fall of Babylon some 200 years later during a proud and drunken feast thrown by king Belshazzar. Gods of silver and gold etc. were being praised using looted vessels from the Jerusalem temple. Great fear fell on the party when a human hand wrote on the wall, interpreted by the prophet Daniel (Daniel Chap. 5) as, ' You are weighed in the balances and found wanting'. That night the Persians slew Belshazzar.

          At the same time, the Jews had also been found wanting and suffering slavery in Babylon because of their abandonment of the Lord God of Israel and their detestable worship of false Gods.  Gentile domination of Jerusalem endured under Babylonian, Persian, Greek and Roman Empires until recent times when Israel gained control  in 1967, ending the times of the Gentiles. We are now in the latter days when scattered Israel is returning to their Land of Promise, as predicted in Isaiah and other prophets.  As in Babylonian times, God is still sovereign in a world that will be full of strife until Jesus comes again.

(written by member of a homegroup)

June 14th

Deuteronomy 19     Isaiah 46     Psalms 106     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

Older members of the congregation will be encouraged by verse 4 of this chapter in Isaiah, God promises to take care of his people “even to your old age and grey hairs”. He promises to sustain the elderly as he has known and “upheld...and carried” (verse 3) them since before they were conceived and has cared for them throughout their lives since then. Sometimes we feel that God is less interested in us as we grow older but these verses clearly show that this is not the case. The elderly in our country may not be as respected by our society as they once were (and indeed still are in many countries) but they are immensely valuable to God. Many retired folk in our church do a great work for God and serve others and the church faithfully and it is all too easy to take them for granted.  We should be continually thankful for them and indeed actively encourage them. When was the last time you made a point of saying “thank you” to a senior (or anyone of any age, for that matter) in our church for any dedicated service that they carry out or any fellowship they provide? 

(written by member of a homegroup)