A Famine Not of Bread

Photo by Nancy Bones Click here to listen to this sermon. And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember My covenant that is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a Flood to destroy all flesh” (Genesis 9:12-15). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Rainbows are part of the stories of many cultures around the world. Often, rainbows are portrayed as bridges between people and supernatural beings. Pet owners think of their furry friends crossing over the rainbow bridge at death. In Norse mythology, a burning rainbow called Bifrost connects Earth to Asgard, the realm of the gods. In the ancient beliefs of Japan ...

"Jeremiah Preaching to His Followers" by Gustave Dore Click here to listen to this sermon. “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for My people: “You have scattered My flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:1-2). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! The Lord declares: “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” This rebuke was not simply a question of cruel or poor animal husbandry practices. The sheep referred to by the Lord were His own chosen people. The shepherds were the rulers of Judah who had neglected their God-given duty. The Lord had placed the leaders in Judah for one purpose—to tend His flock. And He had told them how to do that: “Do justice and righteousness...

"The Beheading of John the Baptist" by Rembrandt Click here to listen to this sermon. Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel’” (Amos 7:14-15). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! The phrase “speaking truth to power” means to confront those who hold important positions, whether in government, business, or religious institutions. Speaking truth to power means to demand a moral response to a problem, rather than an expedient, easy, or selfish response. The phrase speaking truth to power carries a connotation of bravery, of risking either the status quo, one’s reputation, livelihood, or the wrath of the person one is confronting. Martin Luther and the reformers were speaking truth to power as they challenged the abuses that had crept into the C...

"The Call of Ezekiel" by Marc Chagall Click here to listen to this sermon. He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” And as He spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard Him speaking to me. And He said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against Me. They and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God .’ And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them” (Ezekiel 2:1–5). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Ezekiel, the son of Buzi, a priest of Jerusalem, belonged to the company of Jews who had been carried into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon about 597 B.C. In the fifth year of his captivity, he was calle...