View From the Hill: We are watching lightning dance across the mountain. After a summer away ministering in the Pacific Northwest, we returned to tall weeds and hot summer days. Gil is bringing it all under control.
We've mentioned in the past that the town at the bottom of our long hill is growing -- exploding with new homes, new families. Dell has been praying for the area for months and started a Bible study.
We are back in the saddle -- Dell leading worship at our home church and Gil preparing to teach a Bible study from our home.
Jesus' first sermon began with the words, "Today!" He had successfully finished his wilderness temptation and had gone to Nazareth, his home town. While there, he went to the Synagogue to teach. A scroll was handed to him and he began to read a passage that we now know of as Isaiah 61:1-2a.
He read, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives, restore sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
Then he said, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
You know the story--at first the people listened eagerly, but when Jesus talked about God moving in the lives of people they thought beneath them, they got mad, so mad that they tried to kill Jesus. They weren't successful, however.
You see, He wanted them to reach out to help the poor, oppressed, and non-believers. They wanted to crush Roman domination and become a mighty kingdom again.
We continue to offer those in our community this question: "Are you willing to reach out to the down-trodden, the unlovely, the undeserving?" Our heart longs for them to respond with a mighty, "Yes!"
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It's an exciting time to be alive. Did I mention, God is good! (All the Time.)
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Contact Information:
Today's Blessing Ministry
Gil and Dell Klein
P O Box 845
Congress AZ 85332
E-mail: Admin@SmithKlein.Net