SMILING AT YOU!!!

HOW GOD WANTS US TO WORSHIP – Micah 6: 6 - 16 6 With what shall I come before the Lord & bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly & to love mercy & to walk humbly with your God… 10 Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house, & the short ephah, which is accursed? 11 Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales, with a bag of false weights? 12 Your rich people are violent; your inhabitants are liars & their tongues speak deceitfully. 16 You have observed the statutes of Omri & all the practices of Ahab’s house; you have followed their traditions. Therefore I will give you over to ruin & your people to derision; you will bear the scorn of the nations.”

GOD’S WILL FOR HUMANITY “The struggle is between God’s radical dream for an earth distributed fairly & non – violently among all its people &, on the other hand, civilization’s normal dream for me keeping mine, getting yours, & having more & more, forever.”

Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.” 3 But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” 4 So Ahab went home, sullen & angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” He lay on his bed sulking & refused to eat. 5 His wife Jezebel came in & asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat?” 6 He answered her, “Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” 7 Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up & eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”… As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up & take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead.”16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up & went down to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard. – 1 Ki 21: 1 -7; 15, 16

“The struggle between God’s radical dream for an earth distributed fairly & non – violently among all its people versus the abuse of power.”

HOW GOD WANTS US TO WORSHIP He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly & to love mercy & to walk humbly with your God. – Micah 6:8 When we act justly - we worship God correctly When we love mercy - we worship God correctly When we walk humbly with God - we worship God correctly. 23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law & Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices - mint, dill & cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law - justice, mercy & faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.” – Matthew 23:23, 24

HOW GOD WANTS US TO WORSHIP He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly & to love mercy & to walk humbly with your God. – Micah 6:8 When we act justly - we worship God correctly When we love mercy - we worship God correctly When we walk humbly with God - we worship God correctly. 23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law & Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices - mint, dill & cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law - justice, mercy & faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.” – Matthew 23:23, 24