Scripture Nugget 9.26.2015

“A jealous and avenging God is the LORD, the LORD is avenging and wrathful; the LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries and rages against his enemies. The LORD is slow to anger but great in power, and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty.” Nahum 1:2-3

“What use is an idol once its maker has shaped it – a cast image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in what has been made, though the product is only an idol that cannot speak! Alas for you who say to the wood, ‘Wake up!’ to silent stone, ‘Rouse yourself!’ Can it teach? See, it is gold and silver plated, and there is no breath in it at all.

But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him!” Habakkuk 2:18-20

Scripture Nugget 9.25.2015

“‘With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’ He has told you, O mortal what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:6-8

“Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression of the remnant of your possession? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in showing clemency. He will again have compassion upon us; he will tread our iniquities under foot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will show faithfulness to Jacob and unswerving loyalty to Abraham, as you have sworn to our ancestors from the days of old.” Micah 7:18-20

Scripture Nugget 9.24.2015

“And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth. … When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.” (Jonah 3:5 and 10)

“The captain came and said to him, ‘What are you doing sound asleep? Ge up, call on your god! Perhaps the god will spare us a thought so that we do not perish.’” (Jonah 1:6)

Scripture Nugget 9.23.2015

“The eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, says the LORD. For lo, I will command, and shake the house of Israel among all the nations as one shakes with a sieve, but no pebble shall fall to the ground. All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, ‘Evil shall not overtake or meet us.’ On that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen, and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old; in order that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name, says the LORD who does this. The time is surely coming, says the LORD, when the one who plows shall overtake the one who reaps, and the treader of grapes the one who sows, the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them upon their land, and they shall never again be plucked up out of the land that I have given them, says the LORD your God. …Those who have been saved shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’s.” Amos 9:8-15, Obadiah 21

Scripture Nugget 9.22.2015

“Ah, you that turn justice to wormwood, and bring righteousness to the ground! …. Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph … But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stre3am.” Amos 5:7 …14-15 …24

Wesleyan Core Term - Ethics

Ethics

Engraved on the fountain outside of the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Ala., is Martin Luther King Jr.’s paraphrase of Amos 5:24: “Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.” King, like Amos before him, reminded believers that faithfulness requires more than a beautiful worship and fervent prayer. A faithful life is a just and righteous life. John Wesley was known for his rigorous schedule of prayer, Scripture reading, and worship. But for Wesley, when someone was in need, helping that person took priority over prayer and other works of piety. Wesley wrote that a Christian, however zealous for works of piety, should be more zealous for works of mercy. “Whenever, therefore, one interferes with the other, works of mercy are to be preferred [over works of piety]. Even reading, hearing, prayer, are to be omitted, or to be postponed, ‘at charity’s almighty call’ – when we are called to relieve the distress of our neighbor, whether in body or soul” (Sermon 92: “O Zeal,” PII.9). -John Wesley Study Bible pg 1097

Wesleyan Core Term

Baptism by the Spirit

The prophet Joel announced that God’s Spirit would be poured out on all the people. Before his ascension, Jesus said that he would always be present and send the “promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4). That promise was fulfilled when the Spirit descended as wind and fire at the feast of Pentecost. Its fulfillment continues in the Spirit’s ongoing activity among people of faith. John Wesley, in keeping with church tradition, recognized the Spirit’s work, especially surrounding the sacrament of baptism. The power of the Spirit brings us to the baptismal waters. Just as the Spirit alighted on Jesus at his baptism, so too God gives the Spirit to us at our baptisms. This gift is a sign and seal of our new life in Christ and our adoption as God’s sons and daughters. The Spirit invoked at our baptism remains with us throughout our lives to nurture our growth in faith; and only departs says Wesley, by “long-continued wickedness” (see “A Treatise on Baptism,” PII.4) -Wesley Study Bible pg 1088

Scripture Nugget 9.21.2015

“O children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the LORD your God; for he has given the early rain for your vindication, he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the later rain, as before. The threshing floors shall be full of grain, the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.” Joel 3:23-24

“You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you.” Joel 3:26

“I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female slaves, in those days, I will pour out my spirit.” Joel 3:28-29

Wesleyan Core Term

Free Grace

Free grace is a basic Protestants belief that attempts to counteract semi-Pelagianism, the idea that you can earn your salvation by doing good works. But free grace has been a controversial concept among Protestants, depending upon what aspect of freedom is emphasized.

George Whitefield, a Calvinist, argued that “free grace” meant it was God who was free to accept (elect) or reject (condemn) anyone, the foundation concept in predestination or limited atonement (Christ died for the elect).

The Wesleyan heritage, on the other hand, understood “free grace” as meaning the that God’s work of salvation is offered freely to all (universal atonement – Christ died for all), supplemented by the Arminian belief that human beings are free to accept or reject God’s offer of salvation.

With this understanding many Wesleyan sermons conclude with a call for the listener to decide to accept God’s gracious offer of salvation from sin and God’s assistance to live a Christ-like life.

                            -Wesley Study Bible pg 1083

Scripture Nugget 9.20.2015

“Return, O Israel to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take words with you and return to the LORD; say to him, ‘Take away all guilt; accept that which is good, and we will offer the fruit of our lips. Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses; we will say no more, “Our God,” to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.’

I will heal their disloyalty; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. … For the ways of the LORD are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.” Hosea 14:1-4,9b