🇮🇱🙏⛪🇮🇱🙏⛪🙏🇮🇱🙏⛪🇮🇱🙏 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. Proverbs 3:19
How can we begin to measure the mind of God? Even as scientists learn, piece by piece, how the universe and the earth work, we realize the complexity and order of creation. We realize how little we know, despite how much we’ve learned. And none of it is an accident. Each process, each atom, each scientific principle, has been laid down by our Creator to display His glory and power.
God, my words cannot describe how awesome You are. As I look into the heavens, I marvel at Your vast power. And as I meditate on the makeup of the earth, and all of the plants, animals, chemicals, and processes that form our complex ecosystem, I appreciate Your infinite wisdom even more. You are wise, powerful, and magnificent indeed! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Jesus gave us the most important commandments that we are to live out in our lives as Christians. The first one: We are to love God with all of our hearts, souls, and minds. The second one being that we are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. It should be no surprise that the greatest commandments of all have to do with love. Everything that is to do with God is all about love. God created us out of love and He redeemed us out of love. We are where we are, as His children, because of the love of God.
You cannot be a child of God if you do not have the love of God in your heart. But the love of God is not just about saying that you have it. It has to be evident in your thoughts, beliefs, and actions. You may not have it all figured out but you will learn as you go. This is why we have the Bible – it helps us grow in the knowledge of God and what His love really means. We express our love for God through communicating with Him regularly, studying His word, and obeying His commands.
We also express our love for God through loving people. There is no way you can claim to love God if you harbor resentment and hatred against people. It can be hard to let go of the hurtful things that people have done to us, but forgiveness sets us free. Forgiveness is a godly action because we are emulating what God did for us. God is more than capable of healing our brokenness and helping us find the strength to forgive those who have wronged us.
Part of being a Christian is humbling ourselves and realizing that without God, our lives truly mean nothing. We are to acknowledge that we have made a conscious choice to turn away from the bad deeds and sinful habits, and we have turned to the holy life God has presented before us. God had to forgive us of our sins first in order for us to be qualified to live this life. We are to never forget of this great forgiveness that God promised the children of Israel all those years ago. Repent from all evil ways, and choose to be transformed by the love of God and His Word.
Father, I humbly present myself as one who has chosen to turn away from their sinful ways. It is a choice I made when I chose to follow you and Lord, it is a choice I intend to abide in. Father, help me to walk in a way that is worthy of this calling. Thank you for your patience, O Lord, and for never going back on your promises. Were it not for your forgiveness, O Father, I don’t know where I would be. I humble myself before you, O Lord, and pray that I abide in you and nothing else. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
When is the last time you took a risk? How did it work out?
I walk out in support of Israel! Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. It is bordered by Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan to the east, the Red Sea to the south, Egypt to the southwest, the Mediterranean Sea to the west, and the Palestinian territories – the West Bank along the east and the Gaza Strip along the southwest. Tel Aviv is the financial, economic, and technological center of the country, while its seat of government is in its proclaimed capital of Jerusalem, although Israeli sovereignty over East Jerusalem is unrecognized internationally.
God’s word is a precious resource for us- but only if we use it. Scripture is a firm foundation for all areas of life- family, work, and community. When we try to build these things up without the wisdom of God’s word, we are vulnerable to the shifting sands and shaky ground of human thinking and feeling. Only God’s word provides a sure foundation for our lives.
Father, thank You for the gift of Your word. I pray that as I read and study, You would give me wisdom to not only understand Your word but to apply it. Show me how I can use Your instructions and insights in all areas of my life so that when storms arise around me, I may remain firm in Your truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Share Share Tweet Tweet Forward Forward Today With Allen Jackson Daily Devotional Authority In the Cross Romans 6:6 (NIV®) We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.
We are hardwired toward ungodliness. Have you noticed? We don’t need classes on how to be selfish, stubborn, or impatient. We’re just naturally good at those things! This verse, however, has great news: We have been given authority over our carnal nature. But many of us seem to be unaware of the authority that has been given to us. We think whatever authority we have is derived from the correctness of our doctrine, the group to which we belong, or the sign on the building where we gather. Our authority is much greater than any of those things because it is anchored in the redemptive work of Jesus of Nazareth. When you are faced with your carnal nature—and you will be—remind yourself that you are no longer a slave to sin because your old self was crucified with Jesus. That’s an amazing promise!
THINK ABOUT IT We are born with carnal, selfish minds. But God gave us a way to overcome our selfish nature through our faith in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and the power of His Holy Spirit.
PRAYER Heavenly Father, I rest in the authority You have given me through Your Son, Jesus of Nazareth, and His death and resurrection. I place my ungodliness at the foot of the cross and remind myself that I am no longer a slave to my carnal nature. Thank You for Your faithfulness to me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Growing up, the Bible was in my bedroom but seldom opened. I believed in Jesus and cannot remember a time I felt as if God didn’t exist. God just was. However, I did not follow Him as Lord and Savior growing up. In God’s lovingkindness and faithfulness to me, that changed over time. Far from being a God who “just was,” I discovered that he is “the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come” (Revelation 1:8).
As different opportunities arose, I heard more of God’s Word through circumstances, through other believers, through music, and for myself as I started to open up the Bible and engage with it more. What I found was a book that was the very word of God, which is “alive and active… sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
Here are a selection of verses that have shaped my walk as a follower of Jesus. May they bless you as much as they have encouraged and sustained me.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9
What does it take to be a peacemaker? It takes a child of God, one who reflects His image and character. For it is only through the unconditional love of God that we can know peace. And when we live in that love and pass it on to others, without judgment and condemnation, we invite others to experience His peace.
Father, thank You for the peace that You have given me by saving me and making me Your child. Lord, help me to see others as Your children, and to overflow with Your love, so that through me they may see Your peace at work in my life. Use me to draw others into Your love and into Your peace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Teaching American History
EXPAND TIMELINE “The Bible,” from Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gersham Machen December 31, 1923 EDITED AND INTRODUCED BY SARAH MORGAN SMITH, ELLEN DEITZ TUCKER, DAVID TUCKER
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Religion in American History and Political
STUDY QUESTIONS What does Machen mean by the inerrancy of the Bible? Why is it important to him? How does Machen’s view of inerrancy differ from Fosdick’s? Introduction J. Gresham Machen (1881–1937) was the last of a long line of Presbyterian theologians at Princeton who thought of themselves as upholding the traditional teachings of the denomination. In chapter four of Christianity and Liberalism (printed here almost in its entirety), Machen asserted that the Bible as both God’s revelation and as inerrant was essential to Christianity. He contrasted this view with the view of religious liberals (e.g. Harry Emerson Fosdick, see document 19), who he argued placed human experience at the center of religion. In noting that nature was part of God’s revelation, Machen echoes a traditional view, which we have encountered in detail in Palmer, “Baconianism and the Bible”(see document 11). Writing several decades after Palmer, however, in a world of increased secularism and scientific influence (see documents 14 and 16), Machen felt the need to argue for the authority of the Bible, an authority Palmer could take for granted. The writings of Machen, Fosdick, and Dixon included in this collection were part of the modernist-fundamentalist controversy of the first decades of the twentieth century. In large measure, that controversy still defines America’s religious world and influences our politics.
—Sarah Morgan Smith, Ellen Deitz Tucker, David Tucker Chapter 4: “The Bible” Modern liberalism, it has been observed so far, has lost sight of the two great presuppositions of the Christian message—the living God, and the fact of sin. The liberal doctrine of God and the liberal doctrine of man are both diametrically opposite to the Christian view. But the divergence concerns not only the presuppositions of the message, but also the message itself.
The Christian message has come to us through the Bible. What shall we think about this Book in which the message is contained?
According to the Christian view, the Bible contains an account of a revelation from God to man, which is found nowhere else. It is true, the Bible also contains a confirmation and a wonderful enrichment of the revelations which are given also by the things that God has made and by the conscience of man. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handywork”1—these words are a confirmation of the revelation of God in nature; “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”2—these words are a confirmation of what is attested by the conscience. But in addition to such reaffirmations of what might conceivably be learned elsewhere—as a matter of fact, because of men’s blindness, even so much is learned elsewhere only in comparatively obscure fashion—the Bible also contains an account of a revelation which is absolutely new. That new revelation concerns the way by which sinful man can come into communion with the living God.
The way was opened, according to the Bible, by an act of God, when, almost nineteen hundred years ago, outside the walls of Jerusalem, the eternal Son was offered as a sacrifice for the sins of men. To that one great event the whole Old Testament looks forward, and in that one event the whole of the New Testament finds its center and core. Salvation then, according to the Bible, is not something that was discovered, but something that happened. Hence appears the uniqueness of the Bible. All the ideas of Christianity might be discovered in some other religion, yet there would be in that other religion no Christianity. For Christianity depends, not upon a complex of ideas, but upon the narration of an event. Without that event, the world, in the Christian view, is altogether dark, and humanity is lost under the guilt of sin. There can be no salvation by the discovery of eternal truth, for eternal truth brings naught but despair, because of sin. But a new face has been put upon life by the blessed thing that God did when He offered up His only begotten Son.
An objection is sometimes offered against this view of the contents of the Bible. Must we, it is said, depend upon what happened so long ago? Does salvation wait upon the examination of musty records? Is the trained student of Palestinian history the modern priest without whose gracious intervention no one can see God? Can we not find, instead, a salvation that is independent of history, a salvation that depends only on what is with us here and now?
The objection is not devoid of weight. But it ignores one of the primary evidences for the truth of the gospel record. That evidence is found in Christian experience. Salvation does depend upon what happened long ago, but the event of long ago has effects that continue until today. We are told in the New Testament that Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of those who should believe on Him. That is a record of a past event. But we can make trial of it today, and making trial of it we find it to be true. We are told in the New Testament that on a certain morning long ago Jesus rose from the dead. That again is a record of a past event. But again we can make trial of it, and making trial of it we discover that Jesus is truly a living Savior today.
But at this point a fatal error lies in wait. It is one of the root errors of modern liberalism. Christian experience, we have just said, is useful as confirming the gospel message. But because it is necessary, many men have jumped to the conclusion that it is all that is necessary. Having a present experience of Christ in the heart, may we not, it is said, hold that experience no matter what history may tell us as to the events of the first Easter morning? May we not make ourselves altogether independent of the results of Biblical criticism? No matter what sort of man history may tell us Jesus of Nazareth actually was, no matter what history may say about the real meaning of His death or about the story of His alleged resurrection, may we not continue to experience the presence of Christ in our souls?
The trouble is that the experience thus maintained is not Christian experience. Religious experience it may be, but Christian experience it certainly is not. For Christian experience depends absolutely upon an event. The Christian says to himself: “I have meditated upon the problem of becoming right with God, I have tried to produce a righteousness that will stand in His sight; but when I heard the gospel message I learned that what I had weakly striven to accomplish had been accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ when He died for me on the Cross and completed His redeeming work by the glorious resurrection. If the thing has not yet been done, if I merely have an idea of its accomplishment, then I am of all men most miserable, for I am still in my sins. My Christian life, then, depends altogether upon the truth of the New Testament record.”
Christian experience is rightly used when it confirms the documentary evidence. But it can never possibly provide a substitute for the documentary evidence. We know that the gospel story is true partly because of the early date of the documents in which it appears, the evidence as to their authorship, the internal evidence of their truth, the impossibility of explaining them as being based upon deception or upon myth. This evidence is gloriously confirmed by present experience, which adds to the documentary evidence that wonderful directness and immediacy of conviction which delivers us from fear. Christian experience is rightly used when it helps to convince us that the events narrated in the New Testament actually did occur; but it can never enable us to be Christians whether the events occurred or not. It is a fair flower, and should be prized as a gift of God. But cut it from its root in the blessed Book, and it soon withers away and dies.
Thus the revelation of which an account is contained in the Bible embraces not only a reaffirmation of eternal truths—itself necessary because the truths have been obscured by the blinding effect of sin—but also a revelation which sets forth the meaning of an act of God.
The contents of the Bible, then, are unique. But another fact about the Bible is also important. The Bible might contain an account of a true revelation from God, and yet the account be full of error. Before the full authority of the Bible can be established, therefore, it is necessary to add to the Christian doctrine of revelation the Christian doctrine of inspiration. The latter doctrine means that the Bible not only is an account of important things, but that the account itself is true, the writers having been so preserved from error, despite a full maintenance of their habits of thought and expression, that the resulting Book is the “infallible rule of faith and practice.”3
This doctrine of “plenary inspiration”4 has been made the subject of persistent misrepresentation.…
As a matter of fact, the doctrine of plenary inspiration does not deny the individuality of the Biblical writers; it does not ignore their use of ordinary means for acquiring information; it does not involve any lack of interest in the historical situations which gave rise to the Biblical books. What it does deny is the presence of error in the Bible. It supposes that the Holy Spirit so informed the minds of the Biblical writers that they were kept from falling into the errors that mar all other books. The Bible might contain an account of a genuine revelation of God, and yet not contain a true account. But according to the doctrine of inspiration, the account is as a matter of fact a true account; the Bible is an “infallible rule of faith and practice.”
Certainly that is a stupendous claim, and it is no wonder that it has been attacked. But the trouble is that the attack is not always fair. If the liberal preacher objected to the doctrine of plenary inspiration on the ground that as a matter of fact there are errors in the Bible, he might be right and he might be wrong, but at any rate the discussion would be conducted on the proper ground. But too often the preacher desires to avoid the delicate question of errors in the Bible—a question which might give offence to the rank and file—and prefers to speak merely against “mechanical” theories of inspiration, the theory of “dictation,” the “superstitious use of the Bible as a talisman,” or the like. It all sounds to the plain man as though it were very harmless. Does not the liberal preacher say that the Bible is “divine”—indeed that it is the more divine because it is the more human? What could be more edifying than that? But of course such appearances are deceptive. A Bible that is full of error is certainly divine in the modern pantheizing sense of “divine,” according to which God is just another name for the course of the world with all its imperfections and all its sin. But the God whom the Christian worships is a God of truth.
It must be admitted that there are many Christians who do not accept the doctrine of plenary inspiration. That doctrine is denied not only by liberal opponents of Christianity, but also by many true Christian men. There are many Christian men in the modern Church who find in the origin of Christianity no mere product of evolution but a real entrance of the creative power of God, who depend for their salvation, not at all upon their own efforts to lead the Christ life, but upon the atoning blood of Christ—there are many men in the modern Church who thus accept the central message of the Bible and yet believe that the message has come to us merely on the authority of trustworthy witnesses unaided in their literary work by any supernatural guidance of the Spirit of God. There are many who believe that the Bible is right at the central point, in its account of the redeeming work of Christ, and yet believe that it contains many errors. Such men are not really liberals, but Christians; because they have accepted as true the message upon which Christianity depends. A great gulf separates them from those who reject the supernatural act of God with which Christianity stands or falls.
It is another question, however, whether the mediating view of the Bible which is thus maintained is logically tenable, the trouble being that our Lord Himself seems to have held the high view of the Bible which is here being rejected. Certainly it is another question—and a question which the present writer would answer with an emphatic negative—whether the panic about the Bible,5 which gives rise to such concessions, is at all justified by the facts. If the Christian make full use of his Christian privileges, he finds the seat of authority in the whole Bible, which he regards as no mere word of man but as the very Word of God.
Very different is the view of modern liberalism. The modern liberal rejects not only the doctrine of plenary inspiration, but even such respect for the Bible as would be proper over against any ordinarily trustworthy book. But what is substituted for the Christian view of the Bible? What is the liberal view as to the seat of authority in religion?
The impression is sometimes produced that the modern liberal substitutes for the authority of the Bible the authority of Christ. He cannot accept, he says, what he regards as the perverse moral teaching of the Old Testament or the sophistical arguments of Paul. But he regards himself as being the true Christian because, rejecting the rest of the Bible, he depends upon Jesus alone.
This impression, however, is utterly false. The modern liberal does not really hold to the authority of Jesus. Even if he did so, indeed, he would still be impoverishing greatly his knowledge of God and of the way of salvation. The words of Jesus, spoken during His earthly ministry, could hardly contain all that we need to know about God and about the way of salvation; for the meaning of Jesus’ redeeming work could hardly be fully set forth before that work was done. It could be set forth indeed by way of prophecy, and as a matter of fact it was so set forth by Jesus even in the days of His flesh. But the full explanation could naturally be given only after the work was done. And such was actually the divine method. It is doing despite,6 not only to the Spirit of God, but also to Jesus Himself, to regard the teaching of the Holy Spirit, given through the apostles, as at all inferior in authority to the teaching of Jesus.
As a matter of fact, however, the modern liberal does not hold fast even to the authority of Jesus. Certainly he does not accept the words of Jesus as they are recorded in the Gospels. For among the recorded words of Jesus are to be found just those things which are most abhorrent to the modern liberal Church, and in His recorded words Jesus also points forward to the fuller revelation which was afterwards to be given through His apostles. Evidently, therefore, those words of Jesus which are to be regarded as authoritative by modern liberalism must first be selected from the mass of the recorded words by a critical process. The critical process is certainly very difficult, and the suspicion often arises that the critic is retaining as genuine words of the historical Jesus only those words which conform to his own preconceived ideas. But even after the sifting process has been completed, the liberal scholar is still unable to accept as authoritative all the sayings of Jesus; he must finally admit that even the “historical” Jesus as reconstructed by modern historians said some things that are untrue.
So much is usually admitted. But, it is maintained, although not everything that Jesus said is true, His central “life-purpose” is still to be regarded as regulative for the Church. But what then was the life-purpose of Jesus? According to the shortest, and if modern criticism be accepted the earliest of the Gospels, the Son of Man “came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Here the vicarious death is put as the “life-purpose” of Jesus. Such an utterance must of course be pushed aside by the modern liberal Church. The truth is that the life-purpose of Jesus discovered by modern liberalism is not the life purpose of the real Jesus, but merely represents those elements in the teaching of Jesus—isolated and misinterpreted—which happen to agree with the modern program. It is not Jesus, then, who is the real authority, but the modern principle by which the selection within Jesus’ recorded teaching has been made. Certain isolated ethical principles of the Sermon on the Mount are accepted, not at all because they are teachings of Jesus, but because they agree with modern ideas.
It is not true at all, then, that modern liberalism is based upon the authority of Jesus. It is obliged to reject a vast deal that is absolutely essential in Jesus’ example and teaching—notably His consciousness of being the heavenly Messiah. The real authority, for liberalism, can only be “the Christian consciousness” or “Christian experience.” But how shall the findings of the Christian consciousness be established? Surely not by a majority vote of the organized Church. Such a method would obviously do away with all liberty of conscience. The only authority, then, can be individual experience; truth can only be that which “helps” the individual man. Such an authority is obviously no authority at all; for individual experience is endlessly diverse, and when once truth is regarded only as that which works at any particular time, it ceases to be truth. The result is an abysmal skepticism.
The Christian man, on the other hand, finds in the Bible the very Word of God. Let it not be said that dependence upon a book is a dead or an artificial thing. The Reformation of the sixteenth century was founded upon the authority of the Bible, yet it set the world aflame. Dependence upon a word of man would be slavish, but dependence upon God’s word is life. Dark and gloomy would be the world, if we were left to our own devices and had no blessed Word of God. The Bible, to the Christian is not a burdensome law, but the very Magna Charta of Christian liberty.
It is no wonder, then, that liberalism is totally different from Christianity, for the foundation is different. Christianity is founded upon the Bible. It bases upon the Bible both its thinking and its life. Liberalism on the other hand is founded upon the shifting emotions of sinful men.
FOOTNOTES 1. Psalm 9:1 2. Romans 3:23 3. This is probably a reference to Machen’s predecessor at Princeton, A. A. Hodge (1823–1886). Chapter three of Hodge’s Outlines of Theology (1860) is “The Rule of Faith and Practice,” which argues that “the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, having been given by inspiration of god, are the all-sufficient and only rule of faith and practice, and judge of controversies.” Hodge spends much of the chapter criticizing the “Romish” or Roman Catholic approach to the Bible. 4. Machen defines this term in the next paragraph. 5. Machen referred here to what some saw as attacks on the authority of the Bible because of the claims of modern science and the results of the “higher criticism” that subjected the Bible to philological and historical analysis. 6. giving insult or treating contemptuously PRIOR The Bible
Sometimes growing in faith hurts. When we face difficulties and have to lean heavily on God, it feels like walking through fire. Yet God uses these fiery trials the way a refiner uses fire, to burn away the impurities. Through trials, God rids us of pride, greed, lust, and more. And when we emerge, we are purer and able to shine brighter for Him.
Father God, the trials of life weigh heavily on me. It hurts to endure the suffering, the persecution, and the waiting. Yet I know that You are with me, and I ask that You use this time to purify my heart. Burn away everything that is not of You, so that all that remains is what You would have me be. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A new series for people who don’t want plastic in their water or bugs on their plate. From Nellie Bowles for The Free Press. (Photo illustration by T
Why is this necessary?
A few reasons.
First, because the mainstream press is losing credibility when it comes to health and science news. The legacy reporters tend to run their health coverage through government communications departments and have a mindset that puts your actual health last on the priority list, far below a thousand other very interesting niche environmental and social concerns, which leads to things like a Time magazine feature on “The White Supremacist Origins of Exercise.”
Second, there is a thriving, incredible world of smart new health and science writing and podcasting. But it’s hard to figure out who or what to trust when you’re beyond the gatekeepers. In this Wild West, you’ll find a lot of truth. Let’s be real though: you’ll also have to bushwhack through folks telling you the flu shot makes you glow in the dark. When I call up Peter Attia for advice on this newsletter, he reminds me: “The mainstream media has problems, but the freewheeling podcast landscape does too.”
Finally—and probably the biggest reason to start something sense-making in this space—is that the new world is very hard to navigate. People doing the most cutting-edge research are not always the greatest writers. Meanwhile, those who communicate clearly are often in little hideaways—obscure blogs and feeds.
We want to separate the signal from the noise to bring you the information that you need to know when it comes to your survival: insights from doctors and experts who have earned our trust, plus, of course, some takedowns of the best of the worst in mainstream health coverage. Our aim is to bring you healthy skepticism (not paranoia), exciting new developments (not snake oil), and honesty (not cynicism).
Your guide for now is me, Nellie Bowles, who you may know as the deranged narrator of TGIF.
I believe I am infallible, of course, but my colleagues here insist otherwise. And given that health and science are subjects of such importance, I’m not flying solo. We’re going to do our own version of peer review by bringing in a roster of health experts to weigh in on topics of the day.
Now, a note on politics. We’re here to learn about health. A lot of the most interesting thinkers on this are wacky. If I recommend an article about the benefits of goat meat, and the goat farmer also happens to believe that Jesus is going to come back as a turtle next Tuesday, that’s what I call: not my problem. Obviously, this is all within limits, and there’s a good-faith gray zone—I’m not getting Stalin’s sauna tips. But I’m not stressing out if my kombucha lady burned a cop car in Seattle or was at January 6 and honestly, knowing kombucha ladies, either one is entirely possible. Both, even.
Our view is that you don’t need your health news sugarcoated; you can look elsewhere for spiritual and political guidance. Because the truth is, health is not fair. It’s not equitable. And as anyone who has known a young person diagnosed with cancer knows, it’s certainly not just.
So who is this for? This is for people who’d rather not have hormones in their milk, plastic in their water, or bugs on their plate. This is for old-school environmentalists and new-school health nuts. It’s for people who know that worrying about seed oils and lifting weights isn’t “right-wing” and wanting clean air and water isn’t “left-wing.” This is for people who don’t want every health and science story prechewed by ideology before it gets to them.
One note on timing: FP Health will be piloted at random intervals for a few months. Send feedback to health@thefp.com. By the fall, we’ll be in a regular rhythm. Now, for a look at the health news from the last few weeks:
→ Microplastics tied to colon cancer and diseased arteries: There’s a new study out of Austrian universities that shows microplastics seem to accelerate colon cancer cell growth. And a study out of Chinese research hospitals finds these plastics in our arteries. If you’ve found your way to this newsletter, you probably have some idea that microplastics are bad for us, and we should generally avoid them. But we’re all figuring out the extent of it, day by day. How panicked should we actually be? (I write this as hot Thai curry sits in a melting plastic to-go container for me to eat tonight.) How much should we inconvenience ourselves? Which sources are the worst culprits? I imagine that plastic—its impact on us, what the hell to do about it—will be a theme of this newsletter. Because I read studies like that but still have no idea whether or not my dinner is going to kill me.
→ The CDC got the maternal death rate totally wrong: The CDC has been telling us a story of disaster and panic for pregnant women (birthing peoplx). The maternal death rate is a crisis, the CDC said. The maternal death rate has more than doubled over two decades, and it’s the worst among non-white women. America—with a reported 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2021—is a far more dangerous place to have a baby than in other rich countries. The media was very sure to trumpet the alarm.
Now, there is a quiet correction. A very subtle adjustment, if you will.
It turns out that the CDC was just poorly categorizing things. It was counting any maternal death (i.e., a pregnant woman in a car accident) along with women who die during childbirth. Thanks to researchers at Rutgers University, we learned that our real maternal mortality rate is “slightly more than 10 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births”—well in line with our international peers. Okay, so the entire panic that we’re so much worse than Europe was, basically, fake. Will there be any corrections or changes to the many, many headlines about this crisis? No, there will not be.
This reminds me of the old chestnut from when I went to college: that one in four college women was the victim of sexual assault, making campuses more dangerous than Afghanistan. That turned out to be true only by counting just about any unwanted advance as sexual assault, which we’ve known for decades, but the statistical lie is useful for political arguments, so it still gets trotted out.
→ The great sex decline, visualized: Just in a chart, don’t get too excited. I have no idea if it’s the phones or the porn, but the reality is we’re all a little neutered now.
→ The federal budget is just a diabetes slush fund: The new class of semaglutides (Ozempic, Wegovy) might save Americans a lot of money, per a new study showing that their use reduces kidney disease hugely. Diabetes care is a strain on the U.S. economy: nearly 1 percent of the federal budget is spent on diabetes and dialysis (a stat from Duke economist Ryan McDevitt, backed up by numbers from National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases). Anyway, yes, 1 percent. Just on dialysis, basically. There’s also a book out last year about the insanity and corruption of the dialysis industry, if you want to deep dive into Big Diabetes. A lot of people are skeptical of these drugs, which makes sense because there’s no such thing as a side effect–free miracle drug. But obesity is also dangerous—and really expensive.
→ Antidepressant use skyrocketing: Covid took the trend of growing antidepressant use and poured rocket fuel on it. The most dramatic increase was among adolescent girls, but the rise hit boys and adults too. Here from researchers out of University of Michigan and published in Pediatrics in February:
You’re considered anti-science if you question whether all these teens need antidepressants. Like, why would you want these teens to suffer? Also: these drugs are clearly useful, even if no one is quite sure why. I took Zoloft for a few years and loved it, the gentle muting of my panic, but I was and am in my 30s. We really have no idea how these drugs will broadly impact teenage life and development.
→ Donald McNeil on being lied to about Covid’s origins: Before he was forced out by The New York Times in one of the dumber scandals of 2020–2021, Donald McNeil was the paper’s top Covid reporter, a graybeard with the gravitas to say when something was an emergency and the experience to know when he was being manipulated. And yet in his new memoir, he reflects on how top scientists flatly lied to him about Covid’s origins, a truth we now know through their various Slack messages. Those messages show top scientists around the world coordinating both on the origins lie and specifically how to deceive McNeil about it. He writes about being a “victim of deception,” about being disappointed in himself, and about how hard it was to push back against their wall of faux certainty: “It’s one thing to be lied to by a politician and fail to check it out. But on viral evolution, to whom do you go for a second opinion? If Albert Einstein assured you that nuclear fission is harmless, whom would you trust to quote saying, ‘Einstein’s dead wrong?’ ”
We’re still due for the reckoning we deserve on this. The take from Experts is still why does it matter where Covid came from, and asking is racist. Call me crazy, but I do care if Covid was made in a U.S.-funded Chinese lab and would want to, like, figure out what went wrong there.
→ The myocarditis false start: A study came out of Oxford in March claiming that Covid vaccines actually reduce the risk of myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, which has been a concern especially with young men getting boosters. The argument is basically that while the vaccine triggers some amount of inflammation that causes myocarditis, Covid itself triggers even more. I wanted this one to be true, but for all these topics I turn to Dr. Vinay Prasad, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco. Unfortunately, he gives it a thorough debunking. The vaccinated are different in many ways from the unvaccinated, ways that have nothing to do with the shot. Prasad writes: “It is obvious that people who get vaccinated are different than those who don’t, and these patterns of covariates cannot be easily adjust[ed] for because they pertain to domains of life that are not readily captured in health records.”
→ You must stay on birth control forever: Hormonal birth control, because they’re hormones a woman takes every month, has real side effects—especially on mood and sex drive and of course, on weight. Seems fine to talk about? No. “Women are getting off birth control amid misinformation explosion,” The Washington Post alerts us. See, there’s a new movement to help women get off birth control and use either physical methods or cycle-timing—and to generally get more in sync with the body’s natural cycle. An example the Post goes after is the new company 28 Wellness that sells a product called Toxic Breakup, whose founder talks a lot about cycle-syncing and being in tune with your female body, natural vibes, moon rhythms, I don’t know, guys, things that used to be read as quite hippy-dippy. But did you know that’s actually right-wing now?
From The Washington Post: “Physicians and researchers say little data is available about the scale of this new phenomenon, but anecdotally, more patients are coming in with misconceptions about birth control fueled by influencers and conservative commentators.” And “an underlying conservative push” is behind all this, the paper claims.
Now, for sure there are conservative groups who have always been against birth control and generally sex outside of marriage (I’m thinking most major religions). But this new movement has more to do with personal health optimization and taking young women seriously when they talk about side effects than it does with traditional Catholic values. No matter. Nothing upsets Experts more than if people talk about getting off a medication, any medication. I could be taking canine flea medicine and there’d be some reporter alarmed that I’d consider quitting it. But I say: let the ladies do their moon cycle dances! Just for fun I looked up “Washington Post sponsored by Purdue Pharma,” since that was the first pharmaceutical brand I could think of. Well:
→ Concerns that psychedelics trials are biased: A large research review by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review last week has found “substantial concerns” about the validity of research on psychedelics. Psychedelics, in the past few years, have been cast as something like a miracle drug, especially for PTSD, which is something everyone says they suffer from these days. From the review team, citing bias among the researchers: “We heard from multiple experts about the very strong prior beliefs of those involved in the trials (as investigators, therapists, and patients) about the benefits of MDMA-AP. Concerns have been raised by some that therapists encouraged favorable reports by patients and discouraged negative reports by patients including discouraging reports of substantial harms, potentially biasing the recording of benefits and harms.” There’s also the issue that it’s impossible to do blind randomized controlled testing—you definitely know if you’re in the test versus placebo group! I know a lot of people—stressed out moms, every single tech executive in America—who have benefited a lot from mushrooms and MDMA and other things I refuse to try. But every since I bought Dogecoin, I’m always skeptical when something is hyped too aggressively. And these drugs are covered glowingly, almost without exception.
→ All this autism is a blessing! Autism diagnoses are rising, and fast. Jill Escher, the mother of two autistic children, wrote a profound piece for The Free Press on the insanity of these takes. In my mind, it’s one of the most important pieces we’ve run. She’s now released a smart video through the National Council on Severe Autism, laying out the irrefutable evidence that yes, autism is actually increasing. Why did she need to put this out? Because you’ll find two arguments against worrying about autism: first, that autism is a superpower, making people simply different, not any worse off. Second, that it’s not increasing at all, we’re just noticing it more. Autism and the informed, nuanced work of people like Escher are topics we’ll follow closely here.
→ Google’s new artificial intelligence demands you eat bugs: When Bloomberg reporter Joe Weisenthal asked Google’s artificial intelligence software to write something to encourage eating meat as a good protein source, the engineers had coded it to deny the request. Here’s the prompt he wrote and Google’s response:
But then when you give it that same prompt, but to make a campaign for eating bugs? Well, it comes back with great tagline ideas:
• Skip the Steak, Try a Beetle. • Insects: They’re what’s for dinner (of the future). • Get Your Protein Buzz: Crickets are the New Kale. • Protein Revolution: Insects – Nutritious, Sustainable, Delicious.
People try to deny that there’s a concerted effort to convince people to replace burgers with bugs—a conspiracy, says NPR! and also somehow racist, says NPR! Right.
→ Alcohol-related deaths are surging: Remember how during Covid lockdown, in-person Alcoholics Anonymous meetings were banned and church was banned and sports were banned, but liquor stores were declared essential and bars were allowed to stay open? Well, it turns out that when you close all community activities but allow for the steady flow of booze into a society, people drink more! Now, alcohol-related deaths are up by 29 percent, and PBS is asking questions recently like:
What could have happened between now and five years ago? What might have changed? It’s a mystery, PBS, a forever mystery.
→ Don’t let a little science fraud ruin the party: Earlier this year, leading researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, including the CEO Laurie Glimcher, were found to have published research with what sure looks like fabricated data. The discovery came from the independent writer Sholto David, and it’s part of a broader movement: independent investigative journalists are diving into the research of celebrated, famous science figures—the sort who get profiled in all the best magazines—and discovering that a lot of their work is faked. (A young student at Stanford’s reporting led to the president of the university stepping down over his research, which appears to be fraudulent.) And here you see the difference between the mainstream press and the insurgent reporters, because in March, the leading science news source STAT named that Dana-Farber CEO to their STATUS List 2024 with a post: “As CEO of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Laurie Glimcher isn’t afraid to shake things up.” STAT didn’t find the fraud—a random guy with a random blog found it.
→ Sure, try Viagra for Alzeheimer’s: Viagra might be a good drug for Alzheimer’s, according to new research in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. And I say great. This was discovered in part by new artificial intelligence software that’s combing through vast tracts of data for interesting nuggets like this one. AI is also starting to spot tiny breast cancers in mammograms, cancers that clinicians had missed. For all the doomerism about AI, it’s astonishing what it’s already doing for our health. Stay tuned for more on this.
→ The EPA only just banned asbestos: In a good reminder that the American government is not going to prioritize your health, the Environmental Protection Agency only just successfully banned asbestos (the EU did that in 2005). Why’d it take so long? The EPA’s effort to ban it in 1989 was overturned by a federal court of appeals that weakened the agency’s authority. In other words: you’re on your own.
→ It’s really weird that no one knows what puberty blockers do to brain development: Puberty blockers have been very commonly used for gender-dysphoric children, the idea being that it gives children the ability to stave off puberty, and a little more time to decide whether to fully medically transition. But in March they were fully banned by England’s NHS, which has been prescribing them after basically cursory visits to the clinic by uncomfortable kids. The next question is: What have these blockers done to kids’ brains? Because the reality is, we have no idea! Adolescence brings huge brain changes—do those come later when the kid eventually takes cross-sex hormones? Are they the same as they would be unmedicated? There is the horrifying potential reality here that these children’s brains will never exactly develop into what we think of as adulthood. They might! But they might not. (Read this from Quillette on the possibility.) And a couple weeks ago, at a conference for clinicians to discuss these issues among themselves, protesters disrupted the event, blocked attendees, and threw smoke bombs.
The worst advice:
→ An example of what you will not find here: One reason we started thinking about health is because of articles like this one from The Washington Post’s official food columnist (I’m being hard on the Post; it’s too easy). This article is on how very bad saturated fat is: “Don’t believe the backlash. Saturated fat actually is bad for you.” Saturated fat is the type you find in meat, dairy, and eggs. The food trend of the last thirty years has been toward carbs and sugar instead of fat. Everything is supposed to be low-fat food, and we’re told Egg Beaters are healthier than eggs, vegetable oil is better than tallow, etc.
Our WaPo food columnist acknowledges that there are all these weird studies showing that people w
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Jesus saves calls us to love our neighbors. But we can’t be ambassadors of love if we think, speak, and act with hatred. Deceit, envy, and slander all cast us in opposition to others because they focus our minds on our own self-interests. We must seek the Spirit to overcome the attitudes that lead to judgment and resentment, so that we may exemplify God’s love to those around us.
Lord, thank You for the love that You poured out on me even though I don’t deserve it. Please fill me with Your love so that I may love my neighbors fully and freely, the way that You love me. Rid my heart and mind of all bitterness and jealousy, and give me new eyes to see others instead through Your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
He Will Strengthen Us!
Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord. Psalms 31:24
When we look at the world around us, it can become very easy to become discouraged by what we see. The amount of hatred that runs deep in the hearts of many people, and the constant agony that we see across the world is enough to make a person question life. But as Christians, we don’t need to question life.
We know that all things relating to doom, death and destruction are of the enemy. We know that all things good come from God and he has commissioned us to go into the world and release this good to all mankind. The ultimate good being the gift of salvation.
Preaching the gospel will come with consequences. People will try to discourage us. We will be threatened. People will abandon us. There will be moments where it will feel as if the entire world is against us. But we have to choose to hold on to God and to praise him regardless of what is happening.
God is always good, no matter what we face on this earth. When we remind ourselves of his goodness, it helps us endure the trials and tribulations of life. In times of trouble, we need to turn our eyes to God and seek Him as our refuge. We can only receive comfort and strength from God.
Human beings will always let us down. We will also let people down. The only one who will never let us down is God. His faithfulness is always assured. No matter what. God’s word informs us of the many reasons we can trust God in peace. He has been faithful even before we realized the weight of his love.
Please enjoy this excerpt from our upcoming devotional by Mike Aquilina and Adam Lucas, Feasts 0f Our Fathers: Praying the Church Year with the Early Christians, due out in April 2024.
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Today Christ descends into hell, says this ancient preacher, bringing his victory over death to those already dead.
Reflect: Matthew 12:40, Acts 2:31, Ephesians 4:9, 1 Peter 4:6
Read: What is happening today? A great silence falls over the earth, a great silence and indeed a stillness, because the King sleeps. The earth was fearful and grew still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and raised up all who have slept since the beginning of the world. God has died in the flesh, and the underworld trembles with fear. Yes, he has gone in search of our first father, as a lost sheep. Yes, he wants to visit those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death. He goes to liberate from sorrow the captive Adam and his companion Eve; for he is both God and their son.
The Lord approached them carrying the cross, the weapon that had won his victory. When Adam, the firstborn, saw it, his heart was filled with remorse and cried out to everyone, saying: “My Lord be with you all!” And Christ answered, saying, “And with your spirit!”
He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying:
“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light—I, your God and the son born to you. Now, to you and your offspring in bonds I say by my own authority ‘Come out!’ and to those in darkness ‘Be illumined!’ and to those who are sleeping ‘Arise!’ I say to you: ‘Awake, O sleeper!’ For I did not create you to remain a prisoner in the underworld. Arise from the dead, for I am life for the dead.
“Arise, my creature! Arise, my likeness, you who were created in my image and from whom I was born. Rise! Let us go away, for you are in me and I am in you. Together we form one person, indivisible, for your God is your son. For you, your God became your son. For you, the Lord took the form of a slave. For you the highest heavens came to earth—and under the earth. For you, for the sake of a human being, I became a helpless human being, free among the dead. For you who left the garden, I was delivered to the Jews in a garden and crucified in a garden.
“Behold the spit on my face, which I received to restore the life I once breathed into you. Behold on my jaws the blows I received to restore your deformity back into my image. Behold on my back the marks of the whip that I endured to lift the burden of sin from your back. Behold my hands, fixed in the tree for the sake of you, who maliciously stretched your hand toward the tree. Behold my feet, driven well into the tree, because your feet had maliciously run to the tree of disobedience, on the sixth day when your judgment was delivered.
“For your rebirth and the restoration of paradise I have labored to exhaustion. I slept on the cross, and a sword pierced my side: all for you who slumbered in paradise and delivered Eve from your side. My wounded side has healed the pain of yours. Let my sleep awaken you from yours in the underworld. The spear that wounded me has turned the spear from you. Arise, let us leave here. The enemy led you to leave the earthly paradise; yet I do not restore you to paradise but to be enthroned in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was the symbol of life; but, behold, now I am your life. I ordered the cherubim to guard you as slaves; now the cherubim must worship you as divine. You hid from God as if you were naked; but now here you are hidden within the naked God. The cherubic throne awaits you. Its bearers are at the ready. The bridal suite is ready, the banquet plates are set. The eternal dwellings and mansions are prepared. The treasuries of good things were opened. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from everlasting
Remember: Christ descends into the netherworld today to rescue the souls of the righteous trapped by original sin.
Pray: Victorious God, you went down to the realm of the dead to rise again in glory. By the power of your resurrection, bring all our loved ones who have passed to new life with you. The Harrowing of Hell
We profess that Jesus “descended into hell” before rising from the dead. But how can God go to hell, which by definition is the state of separation from God? We in the modern era mean something different by “hell” than the common usage of the early Church. The Creed is saying that Christ went to the realm of the dead before his resurrection. Called Hades in Greek and Sheol in Hebrew, this realm of the dead was the collective afterlife for both the good and the bad. Jesus’ passion and resurrection unlocked the gates of heaven for the souls of the righteous, which previously had been closed to all people due to Adam’s sin. Jesus shows us in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus that there were differences in the fate of the good and the bad even before his resurrection, as the righteous Lazarus goes to the bosom of Abraham, whereas the unrighteous rich man is sent to a place of torment. But even this “bosom of Abraham” wasn’t heaven, and although there was some comfort there, it was not a place of true eternal rest.
Jesus went to this realm of the dead on Holy Saturday. True man, he experienced death and the afterlife like others. But unlike the other righteous, Jesus goes to Hades as a conqueror. He preaches the gospel to the dead, frees deserving souls from their prison, and brings them into the perfect and lasting happiness of heaven.
Tonight at sunset, the festive one-day holiday of Purim begins.
What is your favorite type of weather?
In the Bible, seasons are a reminder of God’s majesty and that the earth will continue to exist. The seasons can also be seen as an analogy for the characteristics of natural seasons in our lives and our relationship with God. For example, spring is a time of new life and growth, while summer is a time of persistent effort with the reward of seeing results.
Notice the repetition of “every” as well as “time”: “season” is a Hebrew word that is literally “appointed time”. Christian, as the world turns, turns, and turns with everything, know that not one detail or second of your life is without purpose.
Springtime: A celebration of new life and growth, also a time of release and fresh opportunities Summer: A time of persistent effort but with the reward of seeing results Ecclesiastes 3:1 reads, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”. This means that the various circumstances we go through in life are not by incident, but orchestrated or allowed by God with great purpose and intentionality. Genesis 8:22 says, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease”. In biblical prophecy, a “season” is often used as a metaphor for a period of time, and it can refer to a variety of lengths of time.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
Part of God’s great design to this earth is seasons. We experience wet and dry seasons, the typical four seasons of winter, spring, summer, and fall, and there are planting seasons and harvesting seasons. We see creation moving through seasons each year, and we ourselves live through seasons, as well. In these seasons we learn to depend on and come to expect things. So, too, we find in the Bible that our lives go through seasons.
Seasons of sadness, loss, joy, newness, and growth. All of these life seasons are intentional and God’s influence in them should be acknowledged and counted on. We find this often quoted verse in the book of Ecclesiastes, which is believed to have been written by Solomon, the son of King David.
When Scripture declares that for everything there is a season, this means that the various circumstances we go through in life are not by incident, but orchestrated or allowed by God with great purpose and intentionality.
What Does The Bible Mean ‘For Everything There Is a Season’? Ecclesiastes :31 affirms two important reminders:
The things we go through in life are not in vain. Our situations will not last forever. If you are in a certain season of life, you can be confident the season will come to an end at some point. This verse serves as a reminder that our circumstances will change and that is something we can come to expect in life. Whatever God takes us through has purpose, perhaps to deepen our faith or to help us achieve breakthrough in an area of life.
We will get over our sorrows. We will get out of the valley. We will go through hardships. And whatever season of life we find ourselves in, it will have a beginning and it will have an end. We will enter new seasons, too. Ones that bring relief, hope, or a deeper sense of faith.
It’s helpful to also read other translations of this verse to get a better idea of its meaning:
“Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses”. – Good News Translation “Everything has its own time, and there is a specific time for every activity under heaven” – God’s Word “There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth” – The Message “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” – NIV
What Is the Context of This Verse and ‘For Everything There Is a Season’? As you read Ecclesiastes, you may get the impression that Solomon had somewhat of a grave outlook on life. The book begins with Solomon’s declaration that everything is meaningless (see verse 1:1). He had seen the ups and downs of life, yet could not quite make sense of life. Why was there so much suffering? Where was God in the midst of life? What is the meaning of the mundane days we live? In this book, Solomon reflected on his understanding of God and how that fits with what he knew and the life he was experiencing. Perhaps you have found yourself wondering or reflecting like Solomon did.
In the third chapter, we find perhaps some clarity around the mysteries of life. When nothing seems to make sense, if we find God’s presence in life, that’s when real meaning and satisfaction will emerge. Life without God is hopeless, but a life lived for God and in acknowledgement of his divine presence is one marked by fruitfulness and significance.
In this chapter, Solomon affirmed the seasons of joys and the seasons of hardships, the high and the low seasons, the valleys of despair and the peaks of honor. This is the ebb and flow of life that we can anticipate, and when we keep God at the center, purpose will emerge and refining of our hearts will take place.
Why Is There a Time for Bad Things? The reality is that life gets hard. As we know, bad things happen even to those who follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Sinful nature has left nothing untouched, and this is why we await the second coming of Jesus. But until then, we know that we will go through tough seasons just as much as we go through joyful seasons.
Even Jesus reminded us that we will always have troubles, but we can still have peace in him (see John 16:33). The hope found in this Ecclesiastical passage is that these seasons of suffering, hate, and death will end. God will bring us through to better days marked by comfort, love, and new life. Through it all, we can rest in the peace Jesus has given us. Regardless of what we face, God remains in control and is the author of our days.
How Does God Make Everything Beautiful in Its Time? God is our redeemer. To redeem something means to offset its negative traits. In a biblical sense, redemption means that Jesus’ work on the cross has covered our sin. His sacrificial love has offset and delivered us from sinfulness, death, and guilt. God’s redemptive work makes us beautiful and it makes all things beautiful.
This concept of redemption that we find in Scripture teaches us that God will redeem us from despair and work all things together for the good of those who love him (see Romans 8:28).
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
We find this promise written that God will make everything beautiful in its due season. God will judge right from wrong and bring about justice (see Ecclesiastes 3:16-17). God will make things right. We may not always know how he will make things beautiful or when he will do that, but we can count on it, pray for it to happen, and put our trust fully in God to redeem even the worst of our circumstances.
What Do We Learn from Ecclesiasties 3:1 about Change and Timing? Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes, goes to great lengths to preach that we must put our trust in God’s sovereignty which means he is in control of all things. God is with us in the hardest battles. He guides our steps from one season to the next. He sees what is coming ahead for us and will provide what we need to get through. No matter what seasons lay behind us or ahead of us, God is always present and always leading us through each – for the purpose of His glory.
The greatest hope we have in seasons of trouble or change is that God will never leave us nor forsake us (see: Hebrews 13:5). We may experience God’s timing as difficult, or late, or hard to understand, or different than what we’d expect or hope for. But truly, God’s timing is perfect and always comes to pass in a way that will bring us goodness rather than hopelessness.
How Can We Apply “For Everything There is a Season” to Everyday Lives? When we wake up, we can trust that whatever season we are in is not by accident, nor will God allow it to unfold without bringing out a grander purpose and drawing us closer to him. Every season is purposeful in leading us into a deeper relationship with God and creating unshakeable faith.
We can hope that the Lord will give us seasons of joy, and know that he wants us to enjoy life (see Ecclesiastes 3:12-13). We should savor the goodness of life and the ways God has gifted us with his favor. Apply this verse to your life by trusting that God knows the seasons in your life in which you will relish and endure, and he will be with you every step of the way. Therefore, we should lean into God regardless of the situation because he loves us and will journey with us each moment, each day, and each season. Like Solomon, we can pause to reflect on our lives and how we see God’s presence and direction.
God is the author of our time and the seasons we go through. Though life does not always make sense, or may even feel insignificant at times, rather than getting lost in despair, we can find comfort and hope in God. God brings us to new seasons, changes our circumstances, and adds fullness to our existence. God alone will make things beautiful in due season and cause our lives to be abundant in meaning.
KJV Dictionary Definition: season season SE’ASON. n. se’zn.Season literally signifies that which comes or arrives; and in this general sense, is synonymous with time. Hence,
1. A fit or suitable time; the convenient time; the usual or appointed time; as, the messenger arrived in season; in good season. This fruit is out of season.
2. Any time, as distinguished from others.
The season prime for sweetest scents and airs. Milton.
3. A time of some continuance, but not long.
Thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. Acts 13.
4. One of the four divisions of the year, spring, summer, autumn, winter. The season is mild; it is cold for the season.
We saw in six days’ traveling, the several seasons of the year n their beauty.
seasonable SE’ASONABLE, a. Opportune; that comes, happens or is done in good time, in due season or in proper time for the purpose; as a seasonable supply of rain.
Mercy is seasonable in the time of affliction. Ecclus.
seasonableness SE’ASONABLENESS, n. Opportuneness of time; that state of being in good time, or in time convenient for the prupose or sufficiently early.
seasonably SE’ASONABLY, adv. In due time; in time convenient; sufficiently early; as, to sow or plant seasonably.
seasoned SE’ASONED, pp. Mixed or sprinkled with something that gives a relish; tempered; moderated; qualified; matured; dried and hardened.
seasoner SE’ASONER, n. He that seasons; that which seasons, matures or gives a relish.
seasoning SE’ASONING, ppr. Giving a relish by something added; moderating; qualifying; maturing; drying and hardening; fitting by habit.
SE’ASONING, n.
1. That which is added to any species of food to give it a higher relish; usually, something pungent or aromatic; as salt, spices or other aromatic herbs, acids, sugar, or a mixture of several things.
2. Something added or mixed to enhance the pleasure of enjoyment; as, with or humor may serve as a seasoning to eloquence.
Political speculations are of so dry and asutere a nature, that they will not go down with the public without frequent seasoning. Addison.
Definitions from Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828.
Tonight at sunset, the festive one-day holiday of Purim begins.
Purim spiel (Purim play): Part of the fun of Purim is the Purim spiel, a traditional Jewish play that often involves a comic dramatization of events and characters found in the Book of Esther.
On Purim, in synagogues around the world, the entire scroll of Esther, which is called the Megillah, is read twice—once on the night of Purim and once on the following day of Purim. (All Jewish holidays start in the evening at sunset.)
During the reading, the listeners participate by cheering whenever the hero Mordechai, guardian of Esther, is mentioned and by booing whenever Haman–the influential anti-Semite who had called for the annihilation of all the Jews of Persia–is mentioned.
The scroll of Esther
Although Purim is a Biblical festival that is overlooked by the Church, it’s an eye-opening read for all people devoted to the God of Israel and His people.
The Book of Esther is chock full of irony, mysteries, secrets, and intrigue that provide powerful life lessons.
Unlike the other Holy Days of the Lord, the command to celebrate this festival isn’t found in chapter 23 of Leviticus. What’s more, the command to celebrate this special holiday doesn’t come from God, but from Mordechai, the hero of Esther.
He commanded the celebration of the salvation of the Jewish People in ancient Persia from Haman’s plot to annihilate all the Jews in a single day.
“Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration.” (Esther 9:20-22)
Purim is characterized by feasting, celebrating, dancing, wearing costumes and great rejoicing.
It’s traditional for Jewish people to send gift baskets called Mishloach Manot (sending of portions) to one another and to the poor.
These special baskets contain ready to eat foods that are fit for use at the festive Purim meal. Among other foods, this might include special triangular cookies filled with poppy seeds or other fillings, called Hamentaschen (Yiddish) or Oznei Haman (Haman’s ears) in Hebrew.
Hamentaschen are traditionally eaten during Purim. While poppy seed filling is the most traditional filling, others include prune, nut, date, apricot, fruit preserves, cherry, chocolate, dulce de leche, caramel, and cheese. The shape is said to be like Haman’s hat or his ears.
This common practice is based on Mordechai’s command:
“He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.” (Esther 9:22)
While many individuals do send food gifts to friends, neighbors, business associates and family, etc., the giving of gifts to the poor is often accomplished by donating money or food to charities which distribute food on Purim day.
The poor are not exempt from participating in this practice.
At Purim, baskets called Mishloach Manot are given to friends, family, neighbors, and the poor. Although they traditionally contain food that can be used for the Purim meal, they also often have a variety of special snacks and treats.
A Game of Chance
“For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction. … Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur.” (Esther 9:24-26)
The word Purim, as Scripture tells us, means lots, as in the method of choosing or making a decision seemingly by ‘chance’.
In Persia, the pur (a lot) was used to seek guidance from pagan gods. The name of the holiday, therefore, is derived from Haman drawing lots to determine the date when to schedule the extermination of the Jews!
The lot fell to the 13th day of the month Adar.
Although the day that Haman cast the pur seems to be a matter of chance, even a glance at the Hebrew calendar reveals God at work.
On the 13th day of the month Nissan, which is the first month of the Hebrew calendar, the edict was issued that the Jews should be annihilated on 13th day of the 12th month (Esther 3:7, 12-13).
Why is this significant? Because that was the day before Passover!
A Jewish family sits together to enjoy the Passover meal and recount the story of deliverance from Egypt.
Imagine that every Jewish household in Persia was searching their houses for chametz (leaven) in preparation for the beginning of Passover the next day, when they would have a Passover seder (traditional meal and recounting of the story) to commemorate their deliverance from Egypt.
As they were preparing to retell the story of the Passover to themselves and to their children the greatness of God’s power in bringing them out of Egypt, they likely received the shocking news.
In exactly eleven months’ time, their enemies would attempt to murder each one of them in cold blood for one reason and one reason alone – they were Jews.
God had made sure that uppermost in His people’s minds and hearts was the remembrance of His supernatural, mighty, and delivering power.
Haman had sent out a message promising destruction, but God’s message to the Jewish people seems clear: “He who delivered you from Egypt’s pharaoh long ago is well able to deliver you from Haman today!”
The Purim story written in Hebrew on a scroll that is set in an olive wood case.
Events may occur in our lives that seem random, but the book of Esther reveals that God is in control, no matter how powerful our enemy or how bleak the situation.
Whatever our situation or circumstance, we can rest in the assurance that our times are truly in God’s hands (Psalm 31: 15).
The whole story of Esther seems to be one of happenstance, such as the following:
Queen Vashti ‘just happens’ to pick this time to refuse to come to the king’s royal feast. In response, the king decides to find a new queen.
Mordechai ‘just happens’ to be in the right place at the right moment to hear of a plot against the king’s life, and he takes action to thwart that plan (Esther 2:21).
The king ‘just happens’ to have a sleepless night and calls his courtiers to read his book of chronicles, which reminds him that Mordechai saved his life (Esther 6:1).
Mahane Yehuda Market, Jerusalem: Everyone can get in on the fun at Purim, including bakers, counter assistants, and cashiers.
Mysteries in the Book of Esther
“He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.” (Daniel 2:22)
Purim is a festival to dress up, wear a mask and have fun.
Little boys dress as Mordechai, the King, and even the bad guy, Haman. (Boo!)
Nowadays, however, the costumes have expanded to include every conceivable disguise, since the theme of concealed, hidden and mistaken identities runs throughout the Book of Esther and the festival of Purim.
Even God is hidden in the Purim story.
In a search of the entire scroll of Esther from beginning to end, the name of God isn’t mentioned once.
For that reason, the book of Esther almost didn’t make it into the canon of the Bible.
The closest reference to God is when Mordechai tells Esther that redemption for the Jews will come from “another place” (makom aher) if she doesn’t act.
This term seems connected to HaMakom (literally The Place), which in Judaism refers to God “The Omnipresent.”
Even when God seems hidden, He is still there, and He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us.
Even when we can’t see or understand what is going on in our lives, with tribulations before us, behind us, and surrounding us, God is still there.
He is faithfully working behind the scenes to work out all the details, divine appointments, and circumstances to secure our victory. He may even ask for our participation in the drama!
In the Book of Esther, the heroine of the story, Esther, had a secret identity.
In obedience to the instruction given to her by Mordechai, her cousin and guardian, Esther concealed her Jewish heritage from King Ahasuerus, who not only ruled over most of the known world, but was her husband (Esther 2:10).
She did not reveal her true identity as a Jewess until the exact right moment when it was necessary to defeat the plot of Haman.
The very name Esther (אסתר) comes from the root S-T-R which means hidden or concealed.
In an ironic twist of mistaken identity, when King Ahasuerus asked Haman what should be done for someone who the king wishes to honor, Haman, in his own sense of pride and self-importance, assumed that the king wanted to honor him.
“Now Haman thought to himself, ‘Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?’” (Esther 6:6)
He, therefore, advised an elaborate public demonstration of favor. The man the king sought to reward, however, was Mordechai, Haman’s arch enemy, and Haman was elected to carry out the reward.
“‘Go at once,’ the king commanded Haman. ‘Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.’” (Esther 6:10)
In God’s Kingdom, things are backwards or upside down, from the ways of the world. After all, it’s a Kingdom where the first are last and the last are first, where tax collectors and prostitutes enter before Kings and Pharisees, where the weak are strong and the poor are rich.
At the beginning of Esther, we see a poor orphaned Jewish girl named Hadassah, living in exile in the Land of Persia. But God saw potential in her. He saw Esther, a courageous and Godly Persian queen.
God also sees our true identity and our potential. He knows who we truly are and has a destiny for our lives.
The question is whether or not we will have the courage, perseverance and determination to take hold of it. Do we have faith to believe what the Word of God says about who we are in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus)?
Royal Positions and Hidden Identities
“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)
The Word of God says that our very life is “hidden with the Messiah in God.” (Colossians 3:3)
In Messiah, our true identities are sons and daughters of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords – members of a royal priesthood.
Just like Esther was willing to lay aside her own plans and dreams to fulfill her destiny, to fulfill our destinies, we must lay our hopes and ambitions on the altar and say, “not My will but Yours be done.”
Like Esther had a secret identity, the Church may also have a hidden identity–not separate from the Jewish people–but fellow citizens and an integral part of the commonwealth of Israel.
“Remember that at that time you were separate from Messiah, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:12)
Just like Mordechai called upon Esther to approach the king to petition him for the lives of her people, so too the Ruach Hakodesh (Holy Spirit) is crying out to the Church to pray and intercede for the salvation of Israel and the Jewish People from the people and countries who threaten her survival.
Today, just like during the time of Haman, the current leaders of Iran (Persia) are pointing their missiles and developing nuclear weapons to destroy the Jewish people in Israel.
This is not a time to remain silent. You can be like Queen Esther.
Have you not come to this royal position for such a time as this?
Salvation Baptism When we repent and trust in Christ’s finished work on the cross, He saves us, and we are baptized into Him by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body…
In this baptism, we are also given the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit to comfort (John 14:16), teach (John 14:26), guide (John 16:13) and seal (Ephesians 4:30) us.
This is the baptism of our salvation. Once again, this is not something we do, but something Christ does for us (John 1:33), and no water is involved.
Water Baptism Water baptism is a church sacrament (a church ceremony, or practice, that is considered holy and sacred because of its spiritual significance). Water baptism varies greatly among denominations in both practice and significance. There are two sacraments of baptism performed by Christians churches —(1) infant baptism or (2) youth and adult baptism (sometimes called believer’s baptism because the person makes a profession of faith). These baptisms can be performed by the sprinkling of water or by partial or full immersion in water.
Infant Baptism Many churches that practice infant baptism do so with the understanding that the baby is being baptized into the family of believers and dedicated to the Lord. It does not impart any forgiveness of sins, since only Jesus can forgive sins, and only His blood can wash us clean (Revelation 1:5).
In this type of dedication or infant baptism, both the parents and the congregation affirm their trust in Christ as Saviour and commit to raising the child in the Lord’s will and His ways. As the child grows and matures, the child still must repent and trust in Christ to receive forgiveness of sins and be saved by Him. The age, or level of maturity, at which a child can come to Christ will vary (Read more about the age of accountability), but with sound biblical teachings, even young children can understand the gospel, respond to it and be saved by Jesus.
When salvation is received, by someone baptized as an infant, they are called in Scripture to make a public profession. Churches that practice the sacrament of infant baptism also have the sacrament of confirmation. In confirmation, a believer confirms the vows made by their parents on their behalf and publicly professes their faith and trust in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
Baptism of Youth and Adults Other denominations wait until a child is old enough, or mature enough, to understand their sin and the gospel of saving grace (the age of accountability). Once someone has repented and trusted in Jesus, and been saved by Him, they then make a public profession of faith in baptism. This is often done by full immersion into water.
By outward appearances, full immersion baptism is similar to the baptism practice of John the Baptist. However, it is very different in meaning. John the Baptist used water to baptize unto repentance (Matthew 3:10). It was a baptism of purification based on the confession of sins (Matthew 3:6). It was not forgiveness of sins since John did not have the power to forgive sins. Only God can forgive sins and it is received by trusting in Jesus and being washed by His blood, not water.
Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.
The Bible is clear, water baptism is not necessary for salvation. However, there are some churches that would disagree. Search the Scriptures. It is only by Jesus that we are saved (Romans 5:9, Acts 4:12).
If Baptized as an Infant, and Later Confirmed, Do I Need to Be Re-baptized? NO. If water baptism is necessary for salvation, then the Lord erred when the thief on the cross trusted in Him and Jesus promised, “Assuredly [truly], I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” Luke 23:43
We know that the Lord did not err. His words are true and His words to the thief were a promise of salvation– yet the thief on the cross was not baptized. The thief on the cross did the only thing that was necessary for salvation. He called out to Jesus in trusting faith, knowing that Jesus is the Lord and He has the power to bring people into His kingdom.
So if you were baptized as an infant, and later confirmed, you don’t NEED to be re-baptized. In confirmation, you made a public profession of your salvation. However, if you wish to be baptized again, or your church requires it for membership, you should certainly do so. Testifying publicly to what Jesus has done for you, and in you, is always a beautiful thing. It glorifies God and reminds everyone who witnesses your profession of the riches that God has already imparted to you when He saved you.
If Water Baptism Is Not Necessary for Salvation, Should It be Eliminated? Absolutely not! While water baptism has no saving power, it does have sanctifying benefits. Water baptism is a public profession of God’s mercy and grace, whether it’s by believing parents and congregants who vow to raise a child in the knowledge of the Lord, or as a personal profession by a redeemed sinner who has been saved by the grace of God.
I do not want to be misunderstood on this, so let me clarify. Although there may be no need to be water baptized, it is a beautiful sacrament and should be practiced. If one was baptized as an infant, they must understand that they should make a public profession when Jesus saves them. This can be done in confirmation or water baptism. If one was not water baptized as an infant, they should be baptized. However the sacrament is practiced, it is a beautiful testimony that proclaims the mercy and grace of God and His goodness in saving sinners.
Do Not Let This Be Divisive Various churches and denominations have different views on what water baptism signifies and how it should be practiced. I encourage you, DO NOT let this doctrine become divisive among believers. Search the Scriptures for your understanding. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit will reveal all truth.
The Bible is clear that we are to profess with our mouth that which we believe in our hearts (Romans 10:9-10), so be ready to do so. Share the saving grace of Jesus with others, by telling of what He has done for you and what He desires to do for all people.
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Addendum An email was received suggesting this is putting infant baptism “on par” with believer’s baptism. That is not the case.
Infant baptism could be considered similar to infant dedication. It has no saving power. Confirmation could be considered similar to believer’s baptism in that they are both are a profession of faith and that the person has been saved by Jesus by grace alone.
Remember, the question was whether water baptism is NEEDED. We cannot say that someone who was baptized as an infant, has been saved by Jesus, made a profession of faith, but was never immersed in water baptism, NEEDS to be baptized.
The point of this article is that the water of baptism does not save anyone. Only the baptism (washing) in Jesus’ blood (Rev 1:5) has saving power. But don’t hear me wrong. Believer’s baptism is a beautiful way to proclaim the gift of salvation and it is to be commended. Some churches require it, but others do not. And, we should not let this be divisive.
Jesus prayed for unity in the Church, not for uniformity. According to your church’s tradition, tell the world of what Jesus has done in saving you…and then never stop telling people. Especially tell those who do not know Jesus. Tell them that Jesus loves them and offers forgiveness for their sins and new life in Him. To Him be the glory!
Creation/Evolution controversy we focus on ourselves. What are human beings? Are we different from animals? Mark Twain said, “Man is the only animal that blushes – and the only animal that needs to!” Professor C.E.M. Joad noted that man is nothing but:
Fat enough for seven bars of soap; Iron enough for one medium-sized nail; Sugar enough for seven cups of tea; Lime enough to whitewash one chicken coop; Phosphorus enough to tip two thousand two hundred matches; Magnesium enough for one dose of salts; Potash enough to explode one toy crane; sulphur enough to rid one dog of fleas.
All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fish, another of birds (1 Corinthians 15:39).
Man is different from all other animals in a number of ways:
1. Analytical Thought
Man can think analytically. He can analyze problems and come up with creative solutions. He is able to reason and philosophize about life. The reasoning powers in animals are limited.
2. True Language
Only man possesses true language and conceptual thought. He can communicate by using abstract symbols. The Bible says one of the first responsibilities given Adam by God was to name the animals (Genesis 2:19-23). Animals have no such capacities.
3. Record History
Another difference is that man can record and determine history. From the beginning of time, man has recorded his deeds for the benefit of future generations. There is no example of any animal recording their deeds for posterity.
4. Economics
Man is an economic being, able to transact complicated business and to administer goods and services under his control. God instructed Adam and Eve to take control of the earth and “subdue” it (Genesis 1:28). Animals do not transact business between each other.
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Verse or Word(s) KJV Go! Help Quick Nav The Blue Letter Bible ← Back to Don Stewart FAQ List Don Stewart :: Is There a Difference Between Humans and Animals? Don Stewart As we close our section on the creation/evolution controversy we focus on ourselves. What are human beings? Are we different from animals? Mark Twain said, “Man is the only animal that blushes – and the only animal that needs to!” Professor C.E.M. Joad noted that man is nothing but:
Fat enough for seven bars of soap; Iron enough for one medium-sized nail; Sugar enough for seven cups of tea; Lime enough to whitewash one chicken coop; Phosphorus enough to tip two thousand two hundred matches; Magnesium enough for one dose of salts; Potash enough to explode one toy crane; sulphur enough to rid one dog of fleas.
The Bible makes a clear distinction between man and animals:
All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fish, another of birds (1 Corinthians 15:39).
Man is different from all other animals in a number of ways:
1. Analytical Thought
Man can think analytically. He can analyze problems and come up with creative solutions. He is able to reason and philosophize about life. The reasoning powers in animals are limited.
2. True Language
Only man possesses true language and conceptual thought. He can communicate by using abstract symbols. The Bible says one of the first responsibilities given Adam by God was to name the animals (Genesis 2:19-23). Animals have no such capacities.
3. Record History
Another difference is that man can record and determine history. From the beginning of time, man has recorded his deeds for the benefit of future generations. There is no example of any animal recording their deeds for posterity.
4. Economics
Man is an economic being, able to transact complicated business and to administer goods and services under his control. God instructed Adam and Eve to take control of the earth and “subdue” it (Genesis 1:28). Animals do not transact business between each other.
5. Art
Man is an aesthetic being, capable of perceiving and appreciating beauty and intangible values. When animals build things, the process and resulting object serve a functional purpose. Animals do not create objects for the purpose of appreciation.
6. Morality
Man is an ethical being. He can distinguish between right and wrong. He can and does make moral judgments. He has a conscience. Only to man could God speak of “good” and “evil.” Because of mans sense of justice and his ethical orientation, God could fairly punish him for his willful disobedience in the Garden of Eden.
7. Worship
Only man can experience faith. Man alone of all earthly creation can worship his Creator. He alone can put his trust in the guidance and leadership of God. The above list, though not exhaustive, points out that there are many things that separate man from animals. We could also add such things as: creativity, invention, imagination, abstract reasoning, love (at various levels), a will, and a conscience.
Human Life Is Different
It is important to note the significant difference between humans and other life forms. Not only are humans different from plants, but humans are also different from animals. Only humans, according to the Bible, are made in “Gods image.” Only humans possess the will and self-consciousness that distinguish us so sharply from even the most “advanced” and intelligent animals. Anatomist Kingsley Mortimer discusses that difference:
To the scientist, man is an animal, graciously self-designated as homo sapiens . . . If he is, at least, he is still the only one discussing what kind of animal he is. Few, however, would deny that man, animal or not has features without parallel in any other member of that kingdom. We are quite familiar with the physical evidence that marks out homo sapiens – the erect posture, the grasping thumb, the cerebral hemispheres. These are all acceptable criteria and have been with us for a long time. Few men take pride in them, but rather take them for granted . . . standard equipment. What puts man in the luxury class among all forms of life is his unique capacity for thought, and his possession of free will. He can do as he likes; he can go it alone. By his own choice, he can know the mystery of loneliness and solitary rebellion. Indeed, the very capacity to be rebellious or miserable is the property of man alone. For who ever hears of a miserable rose or a rebellious kangaroo? (Kings wellley Mortimer, “An Anatomists Testimony,” Why I Am Still a Christian, E. M. Blaiklock, editor, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, pp. 138,139).
From the Bible, as well as from observing both man and animals, it can be seen that there is a vast difference between the two. Francis Schaeffer comments:
Secular history can tell us much about our past as a human race, and therefore our own place in it. But no matter how much writing we turn up and translate, no matter how many excavations we make and how many artifacts we study, secular history has not unearthed a clue to help explain the final why of what we find.
All the way back to the dawn of our studies we find man still being man. Wherever we turn – to the caves in the Pyrenees, to the Sumerians, and further back to the Neanderthaler man burying his dead with flower petals – it makes no difference: Everywhere men show by their art and their acts that they observed themselves to be unique. And they are unique, unique as men in the midst of non-men (Francis Schaeffer, Genesis in Space and Time, Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1972, pp. 158,159).
Man – Made In Gods Image
The Bible says man has been made in the image and likeness of God. Man was the climax of Gods creation, having been created on the sixth day. Though last in order he is first in importance:
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Genesis 1:27).
In the day that God created man. He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created (Genesis 5:1,2).
What does it mean that man was created in Gods image? To say that man was made in the image of God means that God and man have many things in common. When God created man He gave him such things as personality, choice, emotions, morality, and creativity.
Personality
Both man and God have personality, that is to say, they can both think and communicate as rational beings. They each have personal identity that is separate from other rational beings and from non-living things. Man and God also have the ability to communicate to other rational beings:
And have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him (Colossians 3:10).
Choice
A second common trait between man and God is choice. Both God and man are beings who have the ability to choose, though God does not have the ability to choose evil. Neither God nor man is programmed or forced to make any choices. This freedom was given to man by God and man is responsible for the choices he makes.
Both man and God have emotions. For example, each can give love and receive love. God, as well as man, can be angry. Both man and God have the capacity to feel and express emotions.
Man and God both have a moral sense of right and wrong. Each knows and understands the difference between good and evil. The Bible says:
And that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24).
Another attribute that God and man have in common is creativity. The Bible says God created the universe and everything within it. Man also is a creative being, having been given this ability by God.
Summary
Man is different from the animals. Both biblical and scientific evidence demonstrate this. Man alone has the capacity to know and worship God because he has been made in Gods image after Gods likeness.
The Bible makes a clear distinction between man and animals:
Which animal would you compare yourself to and why?
According to the Bible, God created humans in Genesis 1:26–28. The Book of Genesis tells the story of creation, including the creation of the sea, sky, birds, and animals. In Genesis 1:27, it says that God created humans male and female. Genesis 1-4 also states that God created humans from dust and breathed life into them. Genesis 2:7 says that humans are created in the image of God and find their origins in the earth’s soil and God’s breath. Genesis 2 also states that God created humanity through breath, while Genesis 1 states that God created the physical world by speaking. The Bible describes humans as having peculiar qualities that reflect the nature of God and set them apart from all other created beings. The Bible also claims that the role of humans is to rule alongside God. The Bible also says that God created animals before he created man, and placed them in the perfect serenity that was then earth. Animals share the sixth day of creation with humans (Gen 1:24–31). In Genesis 2:18–19, animals are not created as resources for Adam, but rather companions with Adam. The Bible also says that animals should be treated with respect and care, particularly those who work our lands. When it comes to the laws on the Sabbath, not only are humans commanded to rest and not engage in any form of work, but animals, too, are exempt from work as well.
The fact that the creation of man stands as a second act of creation within the sixth day also serves to set humanity apart. There is a command to create the land animals, then another to create humanity. This indicates that human beings are not simply another of the land animals.
Tim: Very clearly humans come from the earth, just like animals come from the earth. They are similar. But there’s also something different in that humans are designated as the divine image. Jon: The divine image, the image of God, the biblical claim the role of humans is to rule alongside God.
According to the Scriptures, humans are not an evolutionary accident but a special creation. Human beings were purposefully produced by God to fulfill a preordained role in His world. They have peculiar qualities that somehow reflect the nature of God Himself and set them apart and above all other created beings
Some people think that the main differences between humans other animal species is our ability of complex reasoning, our use of complex language, our ability to solve difficult problems, and introspection (this means describing your own thoughts and feelings).
The original explanation for the two stories was that the first one happened first, but the woman (made at the same time as the man), later named Lilith, got a bit above herself and thought she was as good as him. God couldn’t have that, of course, so he drove her out and started again in chapter two with Adam and Eve. This is a lie! Eve is the original woman made out of Adam’s rib.
How are the two creation stories different?
In Gen 1 , God creates plants, then animals, and then simultaneously creates man and woman. In Gen 2 , God creates a human, plants, then animals, and later he divides the human into female and male. Additionally, the two stories employ different names for the deity. This is clearly wrong as well! God made the planets, animals, and then man. Adam is clearly a man as a man.
What was the first thing God created? Genesis 1–2 tells the story of God’s creation of the world. On the first day, God created light in the darkness. On the second, He created the sky. Dry land and plants were created on the third day.
What is your middle name? Does it carry any special meaning/significance?
My middle name is Martha and my sister Helen’s middle name is Mary!
It’s ironic how my sister Helen and I have biblical middle names that match the sisters of Lazarus who was best friends with Jesus. This sister of Lazarus Mary is not Mary Magdalene. They are two very different people.
Martha (Hebrew: מָרְתָא) is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She was witness to Jesus resurrecting her brother, Lazarus.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus visits the home of two sisters named Mary and Martha. The two sisters are contrasted: Martha was “encumbered about many things” while Jesus was their guest, while Mary had chosen “the better part”, that of listening to the master’s discourse. The name of their village is not recorded, nor (unlike in John 11:18) is there any mention of whether Jesus was near Jerusalem. Biblical commentator Heinrich Meyer notes that “Jesus cannot yet be in Bethany, where Martha and Mary dwelt [according to John’s Gospel]”. But the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges claims that it was “undoubtedly Bethany”.
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha”, the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.
The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. Ecclesiastics 10:13 Our speech reveals what is in our hearts and minds. Are we full of wisdom and grace, or are we on a course toward destruction? When we speak with love and truth, setting aside malice and deception, God’s grace is revealed in us. But when our words are careless, we not only harm others, but we reveal ourselves to be untrustworthy, bringing down judgment upon our own heads. Father God, You alone are the source of all wisdom. My mind is limited and my ways are faulty. Help me to seek You before I speak, so that I may discern truth from folly and speak only what is gracious and right. Guard my mouth against impetuous and unrestrained speech, so that I may not harm myself or others with my words. In Jesus’ name, amen.
The Word of the Lord praise be to God in Jesus name Amen
For other uses, see Martha (disambiguation). Martha (Hebrew: מָרְתָא) is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She was witness to Jesus resurrecting her brother, Lazarus.
Saint Martha of Bethany
St. Martha of Bethany on the left, Jesus at the house of Mary and Martha by Harold Copping Virgin Born probably Iudaea Province, Roman Empire Died traditionally Larnaca, Cyprus, Roman Empire or Tarascon, Gallia Narbonensis, Roman Empire Venerated in Catholic Church, Eastern Christianity, Anglican Communion, Lutheran Church Canonized Pre-congregation Feast
29 July (Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran), 4 June (Eastern Orthodox) Attributes broom; keys; Tarasque;[1] Patronage butlers; cooks; dietitians; domestic servants; homemakers; hotel-keepers; housemaids; housewives; innkeepers; laundry workers; maids; servants; servers; single laywomen; travellers; Tarascon; Villajoyosa, Spain; Pateros, Philippines; Malagasang Segundo, Imus, Cavite, Philippines Etymology of the name Biblical references edit In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus visits the home of two sisters named Mary and Martha. The two sisters are contrasted: Martha was “encumbered about many things” while Jesus was their guest, while Mary had chosen “the better part”, that of listening to the master’s discourse. The name of their village is not recorded, nor (unlike in John 11:18) is there any mention of whether Jesus was near Jerusalem. Biblical commentator Heinrich Meyer notes that “Jesus cannot yet be in Bethany,[4][5] where Martha and Mary dwelt [according to John’s Gospel]”.[6] But the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges claims that it was “undoubtedly Bethany”.[7]
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha”, the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”[8]
Christ in the house of Martha and Mary, by Henryk Siemiradzki, 1886 In the Gospel of John, Martha and Mary appear in connection with two incidents: the raising from the dead of their brother Lazarus (John 11) and the anointing of Jesus in Bethany (John 12:3).
In the account of the raising of Lazarus, Jesus meets with the sisters in turn: Martha followed by Mary. Martha goes immediately to meet Jesus as he arrives, while Mary waits until she is called. As one commentator notes, “Martha, the more aggressive sister, went to meet Jesus, while quiet and contemplative Mary stayed home. This portrayal of the sisters agrees with that found in Luke 10:38–42.”[9] In speaking with Jesus, both sisters lament that he did not arrive in time to prevent their brother’s death: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died”.[10] But where Jesus’ response to Mary is more emotional, his response to Martha is one of teaching, calling her to hope and faith:
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. “Lord”, Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes, Lord”, she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
As the narrative continues, Martha calls her sister Mary to see Jesus. Jesus has Mary bring him to Lazarus’ tomb where he commands the stone to be removed from its entrance. Martha here objects, “But, Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days”, to which Jesus replies, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”. They then take away the stone and Jesus prays and calls Lazarus forth alive from the tomb.
Martha appears again in John 12:1–8, where she serves at a meal held in Jesus’ honor at which her brother is also a guest. The narrator only mentions that the meal takes place in Bethany, while the apparently parallel accounts in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark specify that it takes place at the home of one Simon the Leper. As the Catholic Encyclopedia notes, “We are surely justified in arguing that, since Matthew and Mark place the scene in the house of Simon, St. John must be understood to say the same; it remains to be proven that Martha could not ‘serve’ in Simon’s house.”[2] It is at this meal that a woman (Martha’s sister Mary, according to John) anoints Jesus with expensive perfume.
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Is Mary Magdalene the sister of Martha? I have been asked this question many times, suggesting that it interests many people. It has often been a topic of discussion in the history of the Christian church. Let’s examine the biblical evidence.
UNCATEGORIZED JANUARY 29, 2009 This page is also available in: Español
Is Mary, the sister of Martha, the same as Mary Magdalene?
I have been asked this question many times, suggesting that it interests many people. It has often been a topic of discussion in the history of the Christian church. Let’s examine the biblical evidence.
1. Mary of Bethany:We know little about this Mary, unless she is identified with Mary Magdalene.
This is what we know: She was the sister of Martha and Lazarus and lived in Bethany, in the region of Judea (Luke 10:38, 39; John 11:1, 2). She used to sit at Jesus’ feet to learn from Him. Since this was the posture assumed by a disciple, we can conclude that she was a disciple of Jesus. She anointed Jesus shortly before His crucifixion, revealing her devotion and love for Him (John 11:2; 12:1-8). This act was her expression of gratitude for the forgiving love of the Savior she experienced (Luke 7:47, 48). Luke implies that she had been forgiven much. After the anointing, no other mention is made of Mary of Bethany.
2. Mary Magdalene: The full name of this woman has traditionally been taken to imply that she was from the city of Magdala, located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. The first time she is mentioned in the Gospels she is specifically included among women who had been healed by Jesus from their sickness or from demonic possession; specifically that she had been freed from seven demons, most probably by Jesus (Luke 8:2). These women were Jesus’ disciples—they accompanied Him during His second Galilean tour—and they provided financial support for His ministry (verses 2, 3). In other words, Mary Magdalene was relatively wealthy.
3. Same Person? Based on the biblical evidence I can only say, “Perhaps” or “Probably so.” Most interpreters believe these are two different persons, because no historical evidence exists to support the position that they are the same person.
Besides, there is the problem of the place of origin. Bethany is in Judea, while Magdala is in Galilee. One could speculate that perhaps early in her life Mary left her home in Bethany, went to live in Magdala, and after she met Jesus she returned to Bethany. This does not contradict any of the biblical evidence, but simply goes beyond it.
Another detail to suggest we are dealing with the same person is that the anointing of Jesus recorded in Luke describes Mary as “a woman who had lived a sinful life” (7:37, NIV). In this case it would be difficult to deny that this refers to Mary of Bethany. Besides, they were both disciples of Jesus, and they appear to have had some financial resources that were placed at the service of the Lord. Based on the Bible I cannot provide a final answer to your question. Please, do not get frustrated; we don’t know everything.
4. What Really Matters: Perhaps what is significant for us in the discussion of the identity of Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany is that, whether or not they were the same person, Jesus trained women to proclaim the good news of salvation. He called men and women to the service of the gospel.
Mary Magdalene came to play a significant role in the gospel narrative. She almost became the disciple par excellence. She witnessed Jesus’ death on the cross (Matt. 27:55, 56; John 19:25) and accompanied His body to the tomb (Matt. 27:60, 61). On Sunday morning she was the first to get to Jesus’ tomb, and, seeing that it was empty, went and informed the disciples that someone had taken away Jesus’ body (John 20:1, 2). The other disciples came and found it to be true and went away, but Mary stayed behind and was the first to see the risen Lord (verse 15). He commissioned her to tell the disciples He had been resurrected (verse 17). In obedience, she and the other women went to the disciples and announced that the Lord had risen (John 20:18; Matt. 28:7; Luke 24:9).
If the resurrected Savior used women to proclaim to the male disciples that He was alive, we should also make full room for women in the proclamation of the eternal gospel.
What is one question you hate to be asked? Explain.
For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Acts 17:28
Sometimes, even as Christians we struggle to grasp how much we depend on God. After all, we don’t see Him and hear Him, so it is easy to perceive Him as distant. But we are reminded by Paul’s words that God not only created us, but He continuously sustains us. God didn’t just create us and then step aside. Rather, He actively maintains the universe, continuing to make a place for us to live and glorify Him.
Lord, thank You for creating me, in Your image and as Your offspring. Thank You for faithfully watching over Your creation and holding all things together. Thank You for making a place for me in Your creation, and as Your child. Please remain with me and sustain me, so that my life may bring You honor and glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Even as Solomon warned his son to refuse the enticements of the world, the flesh, and the Devil, so you also. Our Lord has warned us to do the same in this verse from Proverbs. We are your sons and your daughters, and you provide us with the instruction we need to follow you. Those who have cast off any purpose to obey your law and live in a continual, unrepentant practice of sin, sinners, love to cause others to fall. But however great the allurement or enticement may be, we cannot be forced to sin against our own wills. We must choose to yield ourselves to God instead of to sin (Romans 6:13).
Amen
The book of Isaiah follows the Jewish people during their exile from Babylon. Times were tough: the city of Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonian king, Nebuchadrezzar, and the Jewish people were enslaved for decades. In Isaiah 40, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The Jewish people are permitted to return to Jerusalem, ending their exile, but a long trek is ahead of them. With this context in mind, I believe Isaiah 40:11 begins to make a lot more sense.
What is the longest walk you have ever been on? How about the longest walk in the summer in the desert? Now imagine that you don’t know when you will arrive, what will be there when you arrive, and that each day brings you to a new place that you have possibly never been before. Imagine the fear you would feel, the insecurity you would be wracked with on a daily basis, and the anxiety you would feel towards the unknown you would encounter every single day. There is an answer, however, a guiding hope that will lead you when you are lost. It is the Lord our Shepherd. This imaginary exercise can only paint a very loose picture of what the exiles of Jerusalem were truly feeling. They were enslaved for decades, broken and tortured, split from their families and had their faith decimated. They continued to trust in God, and God never abandoned them.
The rejoicing tone of this verse can be easily felt. Wandering in the desert, tired and lost, the Jews are finally allowed to return home. Their faith wavered, their will was tested, but God fed his flock, gathered and carried them, and gently led those with children. A shepnherd can carry a baby lamb and will see the mother of the baby follow closely, the most intimate and gentle experience that a shepherd can perform.
What can we take for this verse that we can use in our lives? First trust in God. He will not abandon us and will always be there for us when we ask Him to be. He’s even there when we don’t ask Him to be.
Second think of others that we can act as a shepherd towards. Carry those that need to be carried when they need it, leading those who need to be led when they need us.
Lastly be wise enough to recognize not everyone is in control of our lives. God has a plan for the Hebrews in the Book of Isaiah and although it may be impossible for many of them to realize God’s plan for their lives at the time, He followed through with His plan like or not. I have had the same problems within my life thinking I am able to control everything there comes a time in everyone’s life when we need help and God is the only way no matter what!
Your plans Father God are so much better than any plan I have for myself. I ask You for help and You will help, but in your way! Thank You Father God for hearing our prayers in Jesus We come to you, Lord, honestly confessing that we are often tempted to go astray, that the world’s sinful enticements still have too much pull on our hearts. But being your children, the desire of our heart of hearts is to refuse to consent to temptations and to please you. Help us to be men and women of virtue, possessing the moral fortitude (inner strength) needed to overcome the world I pray this in Jesus name Amen.
Women at the Western (Wailing) Wall, the first two on the left are tourists from Africa and Asia. The rest of them are Israeli Jewish.
“The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward.” (Matthew 10:41)
Shalom Delana,
One of the least recognized yet significant roles women play is that of prophet.
Nevertheless, in the Bible, prophecy is a gender-neutral gift of the Spirit.
“Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.” (1 Corinthians 14:1)
God uses men and women to speak on His behalf.
Let’s look at three women prophets who embraced their destiny, spoke out, and saved Israel from destruction
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The Role of the Prophet
“Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.” (Acts 21:8-9)
What is a prophet?
In Hebrew, the word for prophet is navi. Some believe the word comes from the verb nava, which means to bubble up. But some modern linguists lean more toward the source being the Akkadian verb nabu, meaning to call.
Some scholars believe the word navi comes from the term niv sefatayim, meaning fruit of the lips, which emphasizes the prophet’s role as a speaker.
Regardless of the source of the word, the mission of the prophet throughout the Bible is clear — to speak on behalf of God.
The only way prophets have known what God wanted them to say is when He told them through His Spirit (Ruach in Hebrew), as He did with Ezekiel:
“Then the Ruach [Spirit] of the LORD came on me, and He told me to say: ‘This is what the LORD says: That is what you are saying, you leaders in Israel, but I know what is going through your mind.'” (Ezekiel 11:5)
A woman named Deborah was also empowered by Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) to be both a prophet and a judge during the time when Jabin, the king of Canaan, was oppressing Israel. As such, God placed Deborah as a key leader in Israel.
Judge Deborah the Prophet and Warrior Speaks Out
“Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time.” (Judges 4:4)
In Judaism, women are traditionally revered as “the mother of life” and as being endowed with a deeper sense of understanding than men.
We read in Judges 4:5 that Deborah was a judge.
She “used to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment.”
The people of Israel in 12th century BC revered Deborah for her judgment and leadership abilities so much that she even directed men in battle as their Commander-in-Chief.
She was not only a prophet and a judge, she was a warrior.
During Deborah’s leadership, the people of Israel had been living for 20 years under the oppression of the king of Canaan.
They needed deliverance, so she called for a respected man of war named Barak and prophesied:
“The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.'” (Judges 4:6-7)
The Song of Deborah, by Gustav Dore
Respecting her anointing by Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit) and placement by God in Israel for such a time as this, Barak told Deborah that he would not go into battle without her:
“Barak said to her, ‘If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.'” (Judges 4:8)
Barak perhaps made a common miscalculation.
While he seemed certain of Deborah’s anointing, he also seemed to doubt God’s ability to use him when distanced from her leadership.
It wasn’t enough to hear God’s destiny over his life — that God would give the enemy into his hands. Barak needed His spokesperson for the destiny to be there, too, and he perhaps idolized her as a “good luck charm” or a guarantor of success.
Because Barak had more faith in God’s spokesperson over God’s prophetic word, God modified Barak’s destiny:
“‘Certainly I will go with you,’ said Deborah. ‘But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.'” (Judges 4:9)
“Yael went out to meet Sisera” (Judges 4:18) Image from page 315 of The Art Bible (1896)
God empowered another woman to take the glory that could have gone to Barak, if only he had enough faith to believe it would happen as God said.
After all, he gathered ten thousand troops and pursued the enemy as they fled.
He did the work, but it was a woman, not a soldier, who killed Jabin’s army commander, Sisera.
Completely defeated, Sisera fled from Barak and went to the tent of Yael the wife of Heber the Kenite, who was a metal smith.
It is possible he went there to have his weapons of battle fixed since the Kenites were at peace with the Canaanites.
While sleeping in Yael’s tent, she killed him by hammering a peg through his head, thus fulfilling Deborah’s prophecy that God would deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman. (Judges 4:21-22)
God is not a respecter of persons that He would only give wisdom, courage, and advance knowledge about civil matters or battle strategies to men alone.
He empowers women with such abilities, too.
A Jewish Israeli woman soldier holding her gun, protecting a Jerusalem street along with her male comrade.
According to the GCU Blog, you can look for God in every situation, big or small. For example, you can look for beautiful things he has made when walking down the street, or thank him for the people in your life when you are with them. According to churchofjesuschrist.org, you can experience God in your everyday life by: Serving others Working in a soup kitchen or local homeless shelter Doing small, daily acts of service According to JC Recovery Center, God can work in our lives through trouble and hardship. He might use these times to help us grow or to benefit those around us. According to Wikipedia, the five major milestones in the New Testament narrative of the life of Jesus are: Baptism, Transfiguration, Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension. According to the Gospel Coalition, the main purpose of life is ultimately to glorify God.
Jesus Christ’s life is full of meaningful moments, so much so that it is hard to choose just 10 of the most important events in His life. These events occurred across the Holy Land, in all the places where Jesus walked in Israel. 1. Birth of Jesus Christ, Bethlehem And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:7
Mary and Joseph left their home in Nazareth and traveled to Bethlehem, Joseph’s ancestral hometown, where he was required to register for a national census. When they arrived, there were no rooms available, and the only place they could stay was in a barn. Here Mary gave birth to baby Jesus. They were visited by shepherds from the surrounding fields and three wise men from the East who came to see the birth of a king. In the 4th century, the Church of Nativity was built around the grotto, where Jesus was born. 2. Jesus Visits the Temple, Jerusalem After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Luke 2:46
When Jesus was 12 years old, he traveled with his parents from Nazareth to Jerusalem for the Jewish festival of Passover. At the end of the celebration, Mary and Joseph began the journey home together with a group of fellow pilgrims. They presumed Jesus was among the group. But a day into their travels, they realized they had lost Jesus. Returning to Jerusalem, they found Him in the Temple. Jesus said to His parents: “Why were you searching for me?” … “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Luke 2:11 3. Baptism of Jesus, Jordan River Then John said, “I saw the Holy Spirit come down on Jesus as a dove from heaven. John 1:32
How do significant life events or the passage of time influence your perspective on life? My relationship with God is my everyday life!
🖥️ Write about your first computer. 🖥️ I was in school using these two PCs for school work. That was in the 80’s. I liked them.
Ten Republican senators in Oregon cannot run for reelection, the state’s top court ruled on Feb. 1.
The court found that the senators are banned from running for reelection under a constitutional amendment approved in 2022. The amendment, Ballot Measure 113, states that lawmakers who miss at least 10 legislative days without an excuse cannot seek reelection. The ruling upheld a decision from Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade, a Democrat.
Ms. Griffin-Valade said in 2023 that the senators, under the measure, could not try for another term after their current term. “My decision honors the voters’ intent by enforcing the measure the way it was commonly understood when Oregonian added it to our state constitution,” she said at the time. The decision sparked a lawsuit from some of the Republican senators, but the Oregon Supreme Court sided with the secretary of state.
“Because the text is capable of supporting the secretary’s interpretation, and considering the clear import of the ballot title and explanatory statement in this case, we agree with the secretary that voters would have understood the amendment to mean that a legislator with 10 or more unexcused absences during a legislative session would be disqualified from holding legislative office during the immediate next term, rather than the term after that,” the new ruling reads.
Justices said they used their typical methodology in construing the amendment “by determining how the voters who adopted the amendment most likely understood its text.” The method included considering the information presented to voters, which stated that voting yes would disqualify legislators with 10 unexcused absences for the term “following current term in office.” “Those other materials expressly and uniformly informed voters that the amendment would apply to a legislator’s immediate next terms of office, indicating that the voters so understood and intended that meaning,” the justices wrote.
The ruling applies to 10 Republican senators in the 30-seat body.
“I’ve said from the beginning my intention was to support the will of the voters,” Ms. Griffin-Valade said in a statement. “It was clear to me that voters intended for legislators with a certain number of absences in a legislative session to be immediately disqualified from seeking reelection. I’m thankful to the Oregon Supreme Court for providing clarity on how to implement Measure 113.”
Senate President Rob Wagner, a Democrat, said that the ruling “means that legislators and the public now know how Measure 113 will be applied, and that is good for our state.”
The senators in question, including state Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp, missed more than 10 days in 2023 while protesting Democrat-sponsored bills on abortion and other issues. Their walkout of about six weeks delayed voting because it resulted in a lack of quorum, or the minimum number of senators needed to be present to hold a vote.
“We obviously disagree with the Supreme Court’s ruling. But more importantly, we are deeply disturbed by the chilling impact this decision will have to crush dissent,” Mr. Knopp said on Feb. 1.
Oregon voters approved Measure 113 by a wide margin following Republican walkouts in the Legislature in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
The measure says disqualification applies to “the term following the election after the member’s current term is completed.”
Mr. Knopp and others had challenged the interpretation of the measure.
Lawyers for the senators said they viewed the measure language as meaning that the lawmakers could run in 2024, since a senator’s term ends in January while elections are held the previous November. They argued the penalty doesn’t take effect immediately, but rather, after they’ve served another term.
All parties in the suit had sought clarity on the issue before the March 2024 filing deadline for candidates who want to run in this year’s election.
Mr. Knopp and three other Republican senators had already launched reelection bids before the case was considered, while two other senators have said that they’re retiring at the end of their terms. The remaining GOP senators were elected in 2022 for terms that end in early 2027, so they will be barred from running in 2026.
Justice Aruna Masih didn’t participate in the consideration of the case or the decision, the Oregon Supreme Court stated.
All justices on the Oregon Supreme Court were appointed by Democrat governors, either Gov. Kate Brown or Gov. Tina Kotek.
“I’m disappointed but can’t say I’m surprised that a court of judges appointed solely by Gov. Brown and Gov. Kotek would rule in favor of political rhetoric rather than their own precedent,” said state Sen. Suzanne Weber, another lawmaker affected by the ruling. “The only winners in this case are Democrat politicians and their union backers.”
Another challenge from Republicans, this one in federal court, is still pending. The court recently denied a preliminary request that would have let three of the Republicans run, a decision the Republicans have appealed.
The International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American multinational technology corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York and is present in over 175 countries. IBM is the largest industrial research organization in the world, with 19 research facilities across a dozen countries, and held the record for most annual U.S. patents generated by a business for 29 consecutive years from 1993 to 2021.
IBM was founded in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR), a holding company of manufacturers of record-keeping and measuring systems. It was renamed “International Business Machines” in 1924 and soon became the leading manufacturer of punch-card tabulating systems. During the 1960s and 1970s, the IBM mainframe, exemplified by the System/360, was the dominant computing platform, and the company produced 80 percent of computers in the U.S. and 70 percent of computers worldwide.
After entering the multipurpose microcomputer market in the 1980s with the IBM Personal Computer, which became the most popular standard for personal computers, IBM began losing its market dominance to emerging competitors. Beginning in the 1990s, the company began downsizing its operations and divesting from commodity production, most notably selling its personal computer division to the Lenovo Group in 2005. IBM has since concentrated on computer services, software, supercomputers, and scientific research. Since 2000, its supercomputers have consistently ranked among the most powerful in the world, and in 2001 it became the first company to generate more than 3,000 patents in one year, beating this record in 2008 with over 4,000 patents. As of 2022, the company held 150,000 patents.
As one of the world’s oldest and largest technology companies, IBM has been responsible for several technological innovations, including the automated teller machine (ATM), dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), the floppy disk, the hard disk drive, the magnetic stripe card, the relational database, the SQL programming language, and the UPC barcode. The company has made inroads in advanced computer chips, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and data infrastructure.[citation needed] IBM employees and alumni have won various recognitions for their scientific research and inventions, including six Nobel Prizes and six Turing Awards.
IBM is a publicly traded company and one of 30 companies in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. It is among the world’s largest employers, with over 297,900 employees worldwide in 2022. Despite its relative decline within the technology sector, IBM remains the seventh largest technology company by revenue, and 49th largest overall, according to the 2022 Fortune 500. It is also consistently ranked among the world’s most recognizable, valuable, and admired brands.
What are your favorite sports to watch and play? I was a Michigan fan until three years ago because of what they said about Israel! Pro football I stopped watching because they are a contributor to human trafficking. They are also disrespectful to kneel while National Anthem. That’s an insult to those who fought for our freedoms and are still fighting for our freedoms. They have no right to disrespect our military and that is what they are doing. The football players who kneel the basketball players who disrespect our National Anthem should be held for treason.
Football players get millions of dollars and cry if they get hurt. Football is not football anymore it is a Sissy ball.
“God has granted me another child.” (Genesis 4:25)
Shalom Delana,
Seth is a popular name in the Western world, but few people know it’s the name of a significant man in the Bible that is packed with God’s hope and promises for our lives.
We read that “hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12)
Let’s see how God planted a seed of hope in the spiritual DNA of Seth — a hope that all humanity has longed for and which we find fulfilled in Messiah Yeshua.
Restoring Hope Through Seth, a Son Appointed by God
We often hear about Adam and Eve’s dreadful decision to disobey God in the Garden of Eden.
As a consequence to their sin of disobedience, which was now part of their human nature and that of humanity forevermore, the couple lost their second-born child when their first-born son Cain, murdered his brother Abel.
Cain’s sin of murder evolved into a legacy of descendants who created weapons of warfare (as Tubal-Cain did) and seemed to glorify murder without consequence (as Lamech appeared to do). (Genesis 4:22–24)
So, God began a new line of righteousness, revealing the fullness of His grace and mercy:
“Adam had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth [shayth – שֵׁ֑ת], for, she said, ‘God has appointed [shat – שָֽׁת] me another offspring in place of Abel, for Cain killed him.’” (Genesis 4:25)
Through Seth, God laid a new foundation.
Jewish men read from a Torah scroll wearing a tallit (prayer shawl) and tefillin (phylacteries).
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In fact, Jewish sages consider Seth’s name to mean foundation because they say that from him the world was founded. (Midrash Aggadah Genesis 4:25)
Though God did set Seth as a foundation for the promised seed of Messiah, this is not the literal Hebrew meaning of Seth’s name.
The name Seth in Hebrew is Shayth – שֵׁ֑ת. It is related to the verb sheeth (שִׁית), meaning to set, place, or appoint.
God appointed Seth in place of his brother Abel, who died without any descendants, to begin a new bloodline that would bring salvation to the human race.
Cain Leads Abel to Death, by James Tissot
Losing a child to murder must be the most tragic event in any parent’s life, and even worse when it is committed by another family member.
But God knows our despair. He truly is our Comforter and is always ready to turn our ashes into joy, by placing a new path of restoration before us.
Satan, however, is continuously trying to replace God’s plans of hope and salvation for the human race with his plans of deception, failure, and ultimately death and eternal condemnation.
We see this pattern of Satan’s disruption at the very beginning of creation when he deceived Adam and Eve.
Adam and Eve (1919 Bible Primer by Adolf Hult)
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So in Genesis 3:15, God stepped in and placed the hope in Eve that one day her seed would “bruise” Satan’s head.
The Jewish sages write that “Eve had respect to that seed which is coming from another place. And who is this? This is the King Messiah.” (Genesis Rabbah 23:5)
Satan also understood God’s plan to save humanity through Eve’s seed by sending us a Messiah, so he has been trying to wipe out humanity (physically and spiritually). One way he does this is by taking advantage of our emotional wounds.
God warned Cain to master the sin that was boiling up in his heart — his hatred, anger, and jealousy against Abel. (Genesis 4:7)
Cain did not heed God’s warning. He acted on his feelings by murdering Abel.
Jealousy, anger, and hatred are just three of the toxic emotions that the enemy of God encourages in us to lead us away from God’s love and protection. Sadly, Cain did not seek God’s help in these matters.
Within seven generations, Cain’s descendants became skilled in warfare and killing without repentance; they also became skilled musicians of the flute and harp. (Genesis 4:21–24)
Though they acquired many practical skills, they lacked understanding and knowledge of God and His standards of righteousness.
And then came Seth, the son appointed by God. (Genesis 4:25)
Throughout history, God has appointed people to be a light in the midst of great darkness.
Restoring Hope Through Messiah Yeshua
Even though God appointed Seth to begin a new line of righteousness, it seemed that for several generations, Satan would still prevail.
Initially, God’s plan appeared to be going well. At the ripe old age of 105, God blessed Seth with a son whom he named Enosh. (Genesis 5:6)
Only after the birth of Enosh “men began to call on the name of the LORD.” (Genesis 4:26)
But that wasn’t enough to turn the hearts of humanity away from their sin.
Seven generations after Enosh, God saw that the thoughts of humanity were continuously evil and the earth was full of violence and corruption. (Genesis 6)
God’s plans to restore righteousness prevailed when He sent the Great Flood, which wiped out all of Cain’s descendants.
God is always in control of His great plan for humanity!
Noah and His Ark (1819), by Charles Willson Peale
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Seth’s righteous seed would continue through Noah and his son Shem, continuing down the bloodline to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who were the fathers of a chosen people called the Israelites.
God made a promise and covenant with Abraham that through his seed would come a nation of priests.
God appointed this nation to spread His righteous ways throughout the world.
But many of them followed their own ways, and did evil in His sight, as happened in the days of Cain’s descendants before the Great Flood.
It seemed that Satan had the upper hand again! The “nation of priests” had turned away from God’s laws and incurred the penalty of their sin — death and separation from God forever.
Nevertheless, God never wavered in His promise to Eve that through her seed the Messiah would come.
The apostle Luke records for us that Yeshua (Jesus) descended from the seed of Seth. (Luke 3:38)
Even though Adam and Eve’s one act of disobedience in the Garden brought us all condemnation, God kept His promise to Eve. He sent us — and appointed for us — His only begotten Son, Yeshua, as our Messiah. (Acts 3:20)
“Messiah’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.” (Romans 5:18)
Yeshua in His perfect righteousness took our death sentence upon Himself by dying on the execution stake so that we could live free of eternal condemnation.
So, how do we apply His sacrifice (blood atonement) to our own sins?
By acknowledging our sins, repenting, and claiming His death in place of our eternal death.
Only then can we be restored to a right standing with God and enter into eternal life.
Being restored to God is like mending a broken ladder to heaven.
Believers Are Appointed to Be Like Seth
Just as God appointed Seth to begin a new line of righteousness in the bloodline of humanity, so too has God appointed us to begin a new line of righteousness in our own lives and future generations.
When we abide in Him and rely on His empowering Spirit in us, we sin less and repent quickly when we do, resulting in close fellowship with our Father who gives us joy, hope, and freedom.
Messiah Yeshua says, “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” (John 15:16)
We are to persist in asking the Father for what we need to bear fruit for Him. (Romans 12:12)
The more we abide in Him and rely on His Spirit in us, the more we will be able to replace temptations to sin with God’s empowering Spirit.
Like Seth, we can set a new foundation for ourselves and the people around us.
“For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have appointed you to be a light for the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'” (Acts 13:47)
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Orwellian is an adjective that describes a situation, idea, or societal condition that George Orwell identified as being destructive to the welfare of a free and open society. Orwellian can be used to describe a political system in which the government tries to control every part of people’s lives. It can also describe aspects of society reminiscent of Orwell’s critiques, such as mass surveillance and restrictions on free speech. Orwellian can also mean relating to or suggestive of George Orwell or his writings, especially relating to or suggestive of the dystopian reality depicted in the novel 1984. In 1984, social control is exercised through disinformation and surveillance. Synonyms of Orwellian include dystopian, nightmarish, terrifying, gloomy, hellish, despotic, tyrannical, oppressive, repressive, dictatorial, totalitarian, authoritarian, and autocratic.
What makes a good leader? God the beautiful Person
Who leads all of us to His Son Jesus Christ.
Matthew 4:1 “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”
Psalms 143:10 Psalms 143:10 New American Standard Bible – NASB 1995 (NASB1995) Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
Romans 8:14-17 in the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father”.
Romans 8:14 KJV – For as many as are led by the Spirit of For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God
Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Romans 8:16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
Romans 8:9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
John 16:7 “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”
John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Luke 4:1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness.
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Revelation 21:7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
Romans 8:11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Deuteronomy 29:4 But to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear.
Ephesians 3:16 That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being.
Ephesians 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.
Galatians 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
Galatians 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Galatians 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Galatians 5:23 Gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
1 John 3:9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.
Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.
1 John 3:24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
Romans 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”
Romans 5:5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Thank you for helping us end 2023 strong and gear up for what the Lord has in store in the coming year!
Dear Delana,
For a long time, I thought when the truth became apparent, people would recognize it, celebrate it, and follow it. But the scriptures show us something different. Most people resent and reject the truth AND the people who deliver it. We’re seeing this in many places today.
As deception escalates, the choice is clear: Accept the truth, and choose to follow the Lord with more focus and tenacity than we’ve ever known—or be swept away in the deception. To move forward, we will need to intentionally seek the Lord. We will need to know His Word, His Spirit, and His character enough to recognize the truth. And then we will need to have the courage to embrace the truth—no matter the consequences—until the Lord of Righteousness returns. I’m grateful we’re in this season together.
I’ve recently visited twenty different cities to speak to pastors and friends of the ministry. Our cities are increasingly unsafe. Deception continues to flourish across our nation and within the church. But God is moving. I have been ministering for a long time now, and I have never seen people more hungry for the truth. They want to learn about God, know how to follow Him, and what it looks like to seek Him more fully. It’s an exciting time to be serving the Lord!
I believe God created us “for such a time as this,” to faithfully declare His Truth across our nation and around the world. We will not stop!
God is moving in the earth. His purposes are breaking forth. This present world order is rushing toward a conclusion. You and I were sent to be salt and light—bringing the hope and peace of Jesus into this place and this season. Let’s remember the importance of our assignment as we move forward into 2024.
God’s love and forgiveness with those around us. We’re thankful for friends like you who want to tell them about the peace found through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Friend, don’t you just love how whatever you’re facing, all you have to do is tell God, “I’m going to trust you,” and then you can watch as he lights up the path in front of you?
That’s true for everyone in the world. No problem is too big and no situation too dark for him.
That’s why Daily Hope is laser-focused on strategically reaching the greatest number of people online, on television, and on the radio with the greatest message in history. . .
God gives us abundant life through Jesus Christ. There’s hope for the hopeless, and there’s nothing the light of Jesus can’t outshine!
And through your support in these final hours, you’ll help share hope and love with people around the world desperate to know God is there for them.
What relationships have a positive impact on you? Jesus relationship with me has the most positive impact in my life! He has saved me. His dying took our sins away. His rising means He defeated death.
Delana,
We JUST filed our emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court in the most important election case in U.S. history.
President Trump has already been banned from the ballot in yet another state, and there’s an avalanche of similar lawsuits trying to eviscerate your right to vote for the candidate of your choice.
The Supreme Court must act quickly, or there will be utter electoral chaos. This is the most important case we’ve ever taken up because if we lose our right to vote, we lose our constitutional republic. The Supreme Court could decide to take the case at any moment – yes, even this weekend.
As this case moves into overdrive at the Supreme Court, we urgently need your support.
This case is so vitally important that a group of our donors has unlocked a TRIPLE MATCH. But our urgent deadline is MIDNIGHT tomorrow.
TODAY, as we fight at the Supreme Court, have your Tax-Deductible gift TRIPLED. You determine this monumental fight. As we told the Supreme Court: “For the first time in American history, a former President has been disqualified from the ballot, a political party has been denied the opportunity to put forward the presidential candidate of its choice, and the voters have been denied the ability to choose their Chief Executive through the electoral process.” Take action with us to defend our constitutional republic at the Supreme Court.
Sirens are sounding. Hamas has fired a new barrage of jihadist rockets into Israel. The enemy continues its unspeakable evil, as the world tries to prosecute and punish Israel.
God says, “I will bless those who bless thee,” and we’re taking vital legal action. We’ve expanded our Jerusalem office. I’ve been meeting with key leaders in D.C., and we just fired off a new demand letter to the U.N. Security Council to defend Israel. But we need you to take action with us.
We’re also preparing to file a critical amicus brief at the Supreme Court in the biggest abortion case since Dobbs – to defeat President Biden’s expansion of deadly abortion pills. Defend unborn babies at the Supreme Court.
Shahzad was just 16 when they arrested him for blasphemy. Now they will hang him for his Christian faith. We just filed in a Pakistani court to expedite his appeal. Take action with us to save his life.
Finally, as we take on the biggest cases – to defend your right to vote, Israel, the unborn, and Christians from death –
peacewithgod.net Topics START YOUR NEW LIFE WITH CHRIST You can have real, lasting peace today through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Start your four-step journey now!
Step 1 – God’s Purpose: Peace and Life God loves you and wants you to experience peace and eternal life—abundant and eternal. The Bible says:
“We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
“I [Jesus] came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10
Why don’t most people have this peace and abundant life that God planned for us to have? Step 2 – The Problem: Sin Separates Us God created us in His own image to have an abundant life. He did not make us as robots to automatically love and obey Him. God gave us a will and freedom of choice. We choose to disobey God and go our own willful way. We still make this choice today. This results in separation from God. The Bible says:
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
Our choice results in separation from God. People have tried in many ways to bridge this gap between themselves and God… The Bible says:
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” Proverbs 14:12
“But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” Isaiah 59:2
No bridge reaches God… except one. Step 3 – God’s Remedy: The Cross Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the grave. He paid the penalty for our sin and bridged the gap between God and people. The Bible says:
“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God.” 1 Peter 3:18
“But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
God has provided the only way… Each person must make a choice… Step 4 – Our Response: Receive Christ We must trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive Him by personal invitation. The Bible says:
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20
“But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
Will you receive Jesus Christ right now?
Here is how you can receive Christ: Admit your need. (I am a sinner.) Be willing to turn from your sins (repent) and ask for God’s forgiveness. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave. Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Jesus as Lord and Savior) We suggest a prayer like this one:
“Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I want to turn from my sins, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe He died for my sins and that You raised Him to life. I want Him to come into my heart and to take control of my life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow Him as my Lord from this day forward. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
Did you pray this prayer?
It’s our biggest Supreme Court fight ever, but we face a critical MIDNIGHT deadline to defend our constitutional republic.
A second state has banned President Trump from the ballot. This is the worst form of election interference imaginable.
We JUST filed our emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to defend your constitutional right to vote. Because if we lose our right to vote, we lose our constitutional republic.
This really is a judicial emergency, and the Supreme Court could decide any minute – even this weekend – to take our case and expedite the appeal.
I’ve been working with our legal team around the clock and through the holidays because this is the MOST IMPORTANT case we’ve ever appealed to the Supreme Court. We’ve filed our first round of briefs, but now we need YOU.
We face a daunting challenge. This is our most critical time of year, with so much on the line. Our Supreme Court fight requires immense resources, and our MIDNIGHT TRIPLE MATCH Deadline is tomorrow – NEW YEAR’S EVE.
Shemot
Exodus 1:1-6:1 This week’s Torah portion tells us of the Israelites’ slavery in Egypt, and sets the stage for their redemption over the three following portions. It recounts how Jacob’s small family grew into a mighty nation and how the Egyptians came to oppress them. It also relates Moses’s development from birth to leadership.
Descent into Slavery
This is the very first example of “anti-Semitism”. What is Pharaoh accusing the Jewish people of? How does that connect with other examples of anti-Semitism throughout history?
A Leader is Born Many movies about the life of Moses portray his shock at discovering he is a Hebrew. Is this supported by the text? Do you think others in Egypt knew his true identity? How might this affect his ability later to lead the people out of Egypt?
The Burning Bush
Based on His conversation with Moses, it appears God has more in mind for the Israelites than simply their physical freedom from slavery. He outlines His plan to take the people out of Egypt and bring them to a land flowing with with milk and honey. Along the way, they will serve Him at this very place. What, then, is the Bible’s vision of true freedom? Is this how you would define freedom? Why or why not?
Return to Egypt
God recently spoke with Moses at the Burning Bush. Why does God address Moses again? What new insight does He provide that He could not relate at the Burning Bush?
Moses and Aaron Arrive in Egypt
What does Moses tell Pharaoh the Israelites want (see 5:1 and 5:3)? Does this reflect what happens in the rest of the Exodus story? Why do you think Moses says this to Pharaoh?
Describe a man who has positively impacted your life.
🔯 Jesus the Son of the Living God our Father in heaven! 🔯
JOY! For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:12
Jesus The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived
“He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or a home. He didn’t go to college. He never visited a big city. He never travelled two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself. He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for His garments, the only property He had on earth. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that one solitary life.”
THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT JESUS Christ is the greatest man who has ever lived in all of history. He changed the world forever. When He was born, He transformed the very way we measure time. He turned aside the river of the ages out of its course and lifted the centuries off their hinges. His birthday, His Incarnation, touched and transformed time. Now the whole world counts time as Before Christ (BC) and AD (Anno Domoni – in the year of our Lord). Jesus Christ is the central figure of history. More books have been written about Jesus Christ than any other person in history.
The world before Christ was a world without hospitals, a world without charity, a world without respect for the sanctity of life. Hospitals were an innovation of Christianity. Hence the healing symbol of a cross represents hospitals. The nursing profession was founded by Christians, such as Florence Nightingale, out of devotion to Christ. One of history’s greatest humanitarian movements, the International Red Cross, was founded by Christians in response to the Scriptural injunctions to care for the sick and the suffering. Christians such as Dr. Louis Pasteur has fuelled some of the greatest practical advances in medicine. Pasteur has probably saved more lives than any other individual in history through his inventions. The whole concept of charity was a Christian innovation. Benevolence to strangers was unknown before Christ.
The teachings and example of Jesus Christ have inspired the greatest acts of generosity, hospitality, self-sacrifice and service to the poor, sick and needy over two thousand years. Before the advent of Christianity cultures practised slavery and human sacrifice – even the highly esteemed Greek and Roman civilisations. Child sacrifice was common among the pagan religions. The Aztec Empire in Mexico and Inca Empire in Peru engaged in slavery, ritual rapes and mass human sacrifice. Suttee, the burning of widows on the funeral pyres of their husbands, was common practice in Hindu India before the missionary William Carey arrived. Slavery was eradicated as a result of tireless efforts of Christians such as William Wilberforce and David Livingstone. Respect for life and liberty is a fruit of Christianity. Those promoting abortion, euthanasia and pornography are not offering us progress, but only a return to pre-Christian paganism. The positive impact of Jesus Christ on the world cannot be overstated. Everything from education to human rights, from public health to economic liberty – the things we cherish most and many of the blessings we take for granted – can be traced to the spiritual and the cultural revolution begun by Jesus Christ. The irrefutable fact is that Christianity gave birth to modern science. The scientific revolution began with the Protestant Reformation and the Bible played a vital part in the development of scientific discovery. Every major branch of science was developed by a Bible believing Christian. The Bible essentially created science. When we get into a car, start the engine, turn on the lights, drive to a hospital, receive an anaesthetic before an operation, and have an effective operation performed in a germ-free environment, we need to remember that we owe it all to Jesus Christ. “Every school you see – public or private, religious or secular – is a visible reminder of the religion of Jesus Christ. So is every college and university.” Dr. James Kennedy. The phenomenon of education for the masses has its roots in Christianity. The pursuit of the knowledge of God in a systematic, philosophical and in-depth way gave rise to the phenomenon of universities all around the world. It was the Christian faith that gave rise to the idea of higher learning. Most of the languages of the world were first set to writing by Christian missionaries. The first book in most languages of the world has been the Bible. Christianity has been the greatest force for promoting literacy worldwide throughout history. The Christian missionary movement in the 19th Century pioneered tens of thousands of schools throughout Africa, Asia and the Pacific Islands – providing education for countless millions, even in the remotest jungles, giving the gift of literacy to tribes which had never before had a written language. There is no doubt that Jesus Christ was the greatest Teacher the world has ever known. When He spoke, “They were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority…”
Jesus Christ Within Me Amen
Mark 1:22. The life, teachings and example of Jesus Christ have profoundly influenced the whole development of education worldwide. The Great Commission of our Lord Jesus was to “make disciples of all nations…teaching them…”
Matthew 28:19-20. From the very beginning Christians were establishing schools. Amongst the many innovations in Christian Education was that these Christian schools taught everybody, including girls and women. Formally educating both sexes was a Christian innovation. The Greeks and Romans before the birth of Christ did not formally educate girls. Only boys from the privileged classes obtained an education. Christianity revolutionised education by making it available to all classes and both genders. Saint Augustine observed that Christian women were better educated than the pagan male philosophers. Every branch and level of education was pioneered by Bible-believing Christians. The concept of graded levels of education was first introduced by a German Lutheran, Johan Sturm, in the 16th Century. Another Lutheran, Frederick Froebel, introduced kindergartens. Education for the deaf was also pioneered by Christians. Before Jesus Christ, human life in the Greek and Roman world was extremely cheap. Infants born with physical defects such as blindness, were commonly abandoned to die in the wilderness. In Greece, blind babies were cast into the sea. Those who survived their blind infancy, or became blind later in childhood, usually became galley slaves, and blind girls were commonly assigned to a life of prostitution. However, Jesus Christ showed particular compassion for the blind, healing many blind individuals during His ministry on earth. When the Roman persecution of the Church ended, in the 4th Century, Christians established asylums for the blind. In the 19th Century, Louis Braille, a dedicated Christian who lost his eyesight at age three, developed the world’s first alphabet that enabled blind people to read with their fingers. Sunday schools were begun by Robert Raikes in 1780 to provide boys and girls from the poorest homes with the gift of literacy and the riches of the Scriptures. The first universities grew out of the monastic missionary centres, which had discipled Europe. The first university lecturers were the missionary monks who had collected books, accumulated libraries, copied manuscripts and were uniquely equipped for advanced academic study. Most universities began as Christian schools, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Oxford, Cambridge, Heidelberg and Basel. The greatest invention in the field of learning, the printing press, by Johannes Gutenberg, was also a fruit of the Christian faith. The first book to be printed was the Bible. The very name “university” testifies to its Christian origins. University means “One Truth”. Isn’t it time that teachers, lecturers and professors took an in-depth look at the greatest Teacher the world has ever known, the greatest Book ever produced and the Faith which inspired and pioneered every major branch of education and science?. Just consider some of the everyday things which have been inspired by the Bible. The word “breakfast” comes from the concept of breaking the fast. The word “restaurant” comes from Jesus’ promise in Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” The first restaurant founded in Paris in 1766 placed that verse from Matthew 11:28 in bold letters outside this first public establishment dedicated to providing meals in a pleasant atmosphere. The fact that our week consists of seven days is a testimony to the fact of God creating the world in six days, resting on the seventh. The practice of Sunday being a day of rest dates back to the Christian tradition of honouring the first day of the week as the Lord’s Day, a testimony to the fact that Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the first day of the week. Every time a newspaper publishes the date, it is a testimony to the centrality of Christ. When we call this the year 2006, we are acknowledging that Jesus Christ is the central focus of history. This is the year 2006 AD, ‘in the year of our Lord’. The very word “goodbye” comes from a parting prayer: God be with ye. The word “holiday” comes from holy day. The Bible, particularly the Ten Commandments, laid the framework and legal foundations of Western civilisation. The very first statute, the first written restriction on the powers of government was the Magna Carta of 1215. It was written by a pastor and thoroughly saturated with Scriptural principles. The Bible has inspired the greatest literature, the greatest art, the greatest examples of architecture, the age of exploration, world missions, the rule of law, the separation of powers, checks and balances, representative government, the sanctity of life, and so much more that we take for granted. Christianity introduced a respect for life and liberty that was completely unknown before the coming of Jesus Christ. In the ancient world, the teachings of Jesus Christ halted infanticide, liberated women, abolished slavery, inspired the first charities and religious organisations, created hospitals, established orphanages and founded schools. In the medieval times, Christianity built libraries, invented colleges and universities, dignified labour and converted the barbarians. In the modern era, Christian teaching has advanced science, inspired political, social and economic freedom, promoted justice and provided the greatest inspiration for the most magnificent achievements in art, architecture, music and literature. Christianity has been the most powerful agent in transforming society for the better across 2000 years. No other religion, philosophy, teaching, nation or movement has changed the world for the better as Christianity has done. Jesus Christ is the greatest Man who has ever lived, and the Bible is the greatest Book ever written. The Bible is the number one best selling book in all of history. It is estimated that well over 30 million Bibles and 100 million New Testaments are printed every year. The Bible has also been translated into more languages than any other book in history.
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Good News of Great Joy Luke 2:8-11 (KJV®) There were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
One of my favorite Christmas movies is A Charlie Brown Christmas. Charlie is confused when his friends are obsessed with getting the presents they want and finding a perfect tree for their Christmas play. In frustration, he raises his hands and asks, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” “Sure, Charlie Brown,” Linus replies. “I can tell you what Christmas is all about.” Linus takes the stage and recites Luke 2:8-14. Linus was wise beyond his years and gave us one of the cornerstones of a biblical worldview: The birth of Jesus is good news of great joy, and it’s a message for everyone.
THINK ABOUT IT Find a way to keep the true meaning of Christmas alive all season, even amid busy holiday preparations. You will be enriched, along with all those around you.
PRAYER Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to dwell among us, reveal Your character, and offer Himself as a sacrifice for our redemption to You. May the reality of the Living Christ be made more greatly known in our midst—a reality more powerful than any opposition. Let Jesus be alive within us in a brand-new way. In His name, amen.
Israel, a Middle Eastern country on the Mediterranean Sea, is regarded by Jews, Christians and Muslims as the biblical Holy Land. Its most sacred sites are in Jerusalem. Within its Old City, the Temple Mount complex includes the Dome of the Rock shrine, the historic Western Wall, Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Israel’s financial hub, Tel Aviv, is known for its Bauhaus architecture and beaches.
My heart is grieved by the recent violence and suffering in Israel. I hope you’ll stand with me in support of God’s people in these dark times.
As Christians, we know that what’s happening in Israel is not a human struggle; it is a spiritual struggle against the forces of darkness.
God has promised that His chosen people will endure forever.
Join me today by signing the pledge to commit to praying for Israel. -Pray that the Lord would do a mighty work and protect the innocent. -Pray that the Lord will bring strength and wisdom to those who need it greatly. -Pray that the Lord would bring comfort to hurting and fearful hearts.
Thank you for committing to praying for Israel.
Dear friend and supporter,
The ongoing war in Israel has precipitated an economic crisis of unprecedented scale, with a disturbing trend emerging in its wake: a thriving black market. As businesses struggle amidst the turmoil, many are resorting to under-the-table transactions and income underreporting, a symptom of the dire financial straits the nation finds itself in. Doron Arbely, the former director of the Tax Authority, underscores this alarming growth, revealing a shadow economy that now encompasses a staggering 20% of Israel’s GDP.
The war’s impact on the economy has led to desperate financial maneuvers across various sectors. Particularly noteworthy is the plight of divorced men, many of whom, grappling with reduced incomes, are seeking to lower their alimony payments. These individual stories paint a broader picture of the socio-economic challenges faced by countless Israelis during this crisis.
In response to these challenges, the Tax Authority is ramping up its efforts against tax evasion. However, regulatory measures alone cannot fully address the deep-seated issues stemming from this economic downturn. This is where the role of Feed Israel becomes crucial. Amidst the economic chaos and the distress of war, our mission is to provide not just sustenance but also stability and support to those most affected.
Feed Israel stands as a pillar of hope and aid in these tumultuous times. We are committed to offering a sense of normalcy and compassion to those displaced by the conflict and those struggling with the war’s economic fallout. Our efforts extend beyond meal distribution; we provide essential support that helps rebuild lives and communities shattered by the war
Israel, country in the Middle East, located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bounded to the north by Lebanon, to the northeast by Syria, to the east and southeast by Jordan, to the southwest by Egypt, and to the west by the Mediterranean Sea. Jerusalem is the seat of government and the proclaimed capital, although the latter status has not received wide international recognition.
Israel is a small country with a relatively diverse topography, consisting of a lengthy coastal plain, highlands in the north and central regions, and the Negev desert in the south. Running the length of the country from north to south along its eastern border is the northern terminus of the Great Rift Valley.
Israel Home Geography & Travel Countries of the World Geography & Travel Israel Also known as: Isrāʾīl, Medinat Yisraʾel, State of Israel Written by , , See All Fact-checked by Last Updated: Dec 15, 2023 • Article History Recent News Dec. 15, 2023, 10:49 AM ET (AP) Live updates | As fighting rages in Gaza, a US envoy is set to meet with the Palestinian president Dec. 15, 2023, 9:04 AM ET (AP) US and Israel discuss when to scale back Gaza combat but agree fight will take months, envoy says Summary Read a brief summary of this topic Israel, country in the Middle East, located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bounded to the north by Lebanon, to the northeast by Syria, to the east and southeast by Jordan, to the southwest by Egypt, and to the west by the Mediterranean Sea. Jerusalem is the seat of government and the proclaimed capital, although the latter status has not received wide international recognition.
Israel flag of Israel Audio File: National anthem of Israel See all media Category: Geography & Travel Arabic: Isrāʾīl Officially: State of Israel or Hebrew: Medinat Yisraʾel Head Of Government: Prime Minister: Benjamin Netanyahu Capital (Proclaimed): Jerusalem; international recognition of its capital status has largely been withheld. Population: (2023 est.) 9,153,0001 Currency Exchange Rate: 1 USD equals 3.834 Israeli shekel Head Of State: President: Isaac Herzog Israel Israel Israel is a small country with a relatively diverse topography, consisting of a lengthy coastal plain, highlands in the north and central regions, and the Negev desert in the south. Running the length of the country from north to south along its eastern border is the northern terminus of the Great Rift Valley.
The State of Israel is the only Jewish nation in the modern period, and the region that now falls within its borders has a lengthy and rich history that dates from prebiblical times. The area was a part of the Roman Empire and, later, the Byzantine Empire before falling under the control of the fledgling Islamic caliphate in the 7th century CE. Although the object of dispute during the Crusades, the region, then generally known as Palestine, remained under the sway of successive Islamic dynasties until the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I, when it was placed under British mandate from the League of Nations.
Even before the mandate, the desire for a Jewish homeland prompted a small number of Jews to immigrate to Palestine, a migration that grew dramatically during the second quarter of the 20th century with the increased persecution of Jews worldwide and subsequent Holocaust perpetrated by Nazi Germany. This vast influx of Jewish immigrants into the region, however, caused tension with the native Palestinian Arabs, and violence flared between the two groups leading up to the United Nations plan to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab sectors and Israel’s ensuing declaration of statehood on May 14, 1948.
Israel fought a series of wars against neighbouring Arab states during the next 35 years, which have resulted in ongoing disputes over territory and the status of refugees. Despite continuing tensions, however, Israel concluded peace treaties with several neighbouring Arab states during the final quarter of the 20th century.
Despite its small size, about 290 miles (470 km) north-to-south and 85 miles (135 km) east-to-west at its widest point, Israel has four geographic regions—the Mediterranean coastal plain, the hill regions of northern and central Israel, the Great Rift Valley, and the Negev—and a wide range of unique physical features and microclimates.
The coastal plain is a narrow strip about 115 miles (185 km) long that widens to about 25 miles (40 km) in the south. A sandy shoreline with many beaches borders the Mediterranean coast. Inland to the east, fertile farmland is giving way to growing agricultural settlements and the cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa and their suburbs.
In the north of the country, the mountains of Galilee constitute the highest part of Israel, reaching an elevation of 3,963 feet (1,208 metres) at Mount Meron (Arabic: Jebel Jarmaq). These mountains terminate to the east in an escarpment overlooking the Great Rift Valley. The mountains of Galilee are separated from the hills of the Israeli-occupied West Bank to the south by the fertile Plain of Esdraelon (Hebrew: ʿEmeq Yizreʿel), which, running approximately northwest to southeast, connects the coastal plain with the Great Rift Valley. The Mount Carmel range, which culminates in a peak 1,791 feet (546 metres) high, forms a spur reaching northwest from the highlands of the West Bank, cutting almost to the coast of Haifa.
The Great Rift Valley, a long fissure in Earth’s crust, begins beyond the northern frontier of Israel and forms a series of valleys running generally south, the length of the country, to the Gulf of Aqaba. The Jordan River, which marks part of the frontier between Israel and Jordan, flows southward through the rift from Dan on Israel’s northern frontier, where it is 500 feet (152 metres) above sea level, first into the Ḥula Valley (Hebrew: ʿEmeq HaḤula), then into the freshwater Lake Tiberias, also known as the Sea of Galilee (Hebrew: Yam Kinneret), which lies 686 feet (209 metres) below sea level. The Jordan continues south along the eastern edge of the West Bank—now through the Jordan Valley (Hebrew: ʿEmeq HaYarden)—and finally into the highly saline Dead Sea, which, at 1,312 feet (400 metres) below sea level, is the lowest point of a natural landscape feature on the Earth’s surface. South of the Dead Sea, the Jordan continues through the rift, where it now forms the ʿArava Valley (Hebrew: “savannah”), an arid plain that extends to the Red Sea port of Eilat.
The sparsely populated Negev comprises the southern half of Israel. Arrow-shaped, this flat, sandy desert region narrows toward the south, where it becomes increasingly arid and breaks into sandstone hills cut by wadis, canyons, and cliffs before finally coming to a point where the ʿArava reaches Eilat.
The principal drainage system comprises Lake Tiberias and the Jordan River. Other rivers in Israel are the Yarqon, which empties into the Mediterranean near Tel Aviv; the Qishon, which runs through the western part of the Plain of Esdraelon to drain into the Mediterranean at Haifa; and a small section of the Yarmūk, a tributary of the Jordan that flows west along the Syria-Jordan border. Most of the country’s remaining streams are ephemeral and flow seasonally as wadis. The rivers are supplemented by a spring-fed underground water table that is tapped by wells. Israel has a chronic water shortage, and its hydraulic resources are fully utilized: about three-fourths for irrigation and the remainder for industrial and household water use.
Soils The coastal plain is covered mainly by alluvial soils. Parts of the arid northern Negev, where soil development would not be expected, have windblown loess soils because of proximity to the coastal plain. The soils of Galilee change from calcareous rock in the coastal plain, to Cenomanian and Turonian limestone (deposited from about 99 to 89 million years ago) in Upper Galilee, and to Eocene formations (those dating from about 55 to 35 million years ago) in the lower part of the region. Rock salt and gypsum are abundant in the Great Rift Valley. The southern Negev is mainly sandstone rock with veins of granite.
Encyclopedia Britannica HomeGames & QuizzesHistory & SocietyScience & TechBiographiesAnimals & NatureGeography & TravelArts & CultureMoneyVideos Israel Home Geography & Travel Countries of the World Geography & Travel Israel Also known as: Isrāʾīl, Medinat Yisraʾel, State of Israel Written by , , See All Fact-checked by Last Updated: Dec 15, 2023 • Article History Recent News Dec. 15, 2023, 10:49 AM ET (AP) Live updates | As fighting rages in Gaza, a US envoy is set to meet with the Palestinian president Dec. 15, 2023, 9:04 AM ET (AP) US and Israel discuss when to scale back Gaza combat but agree fight will take months, envoy says Summary Read a brief summary of this topic Israel, country in the Middle East, located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bounded to the north by Lebanon, to the northeast by Syria, to the east and southeast by Jordan, to the southwest by Egypt, and to the west by the Mediterranean Sea. Jerusalem is the seat of government and the proclaimed capital, although the latter status has not received wide international recognition.
Israel flag of Israel Audio File: National anthem of Israel See all media Category: Geography & Travel Arabic: Isrāʾīl Officially: State of Israel or Hebrew: Medinat Yisraʾel Head Of Government: Prime Minister: Benjamin Netanyahu Capital (Proclaimed): Jerusalem; international recognition of its capital status has largely been withheld. Population: (2023 est.) 9,153,0001 Currency Exchange Rate: 1 USD equals 3.834 Israeli shekel Head Of State: President: Isaac Herzog Israel Israel Israel is a small country with a relatively diverse topography, consisting of a lengthy coastal plain, highlands in the north and central regions, and the Negev desert in the south. Running the length of the country from north to south along its eastern border is the northern terminus of the Great Rift Valley.
The State of Israel is the only Jewish nation in the modern period, and the region that now falls within its borders has a lengthy and rich history that dates from prebiblical times. The area was a part of the Roman Empire and, later, the Byzantine Empire before falling under the control of the fledgling Islamic caliphate in the 7th century CE. Although the object of dispute during the Crusades, the region, then generally known as Palestine, remained under the sway of successive Islamic dynasties until the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I, when it was placed under British mandate from the League of Nations.
Even before the mandate, the desire for a Jewish homeland prompted a small number of Jews to immigrate to Palestine, a migration that grew dramatically during the second quarter of the 20th century with the increased persecution of Jews worldwide and subsequent Holocaust perpetrated by Nazi Germany. This vast influx of Jewish immigrants into the region, however, caused tension with the native Palestinian Arabs, and violence flared between the two groups leading up to the United Nations plan to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab sectors and Israel’s ensuing declaration of statehood on May 14, 1948.
Flags of all countries of the world. Flags of the world. National flags. Country flags. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery Britannica Quiz The Country Quiz Israel fought a series of wars against neighbouring Arab states during the next 35 years, which have resulted in ongoing disputes over territory and the status of refugees. Despite continuing tensions, however, Israel concluded peace treaties with several neighbouring Arab states during the final quarter of the 20th century.
Land Relief Physical features of Israel Physical features of Israel Israel: Ḥula Valley Israel: Ḥula Valley Crops and fish farms in the Ḥula Valley, Israel.
Despite its small size, about 290 miles (470 km) north-to-south and 85 miles (135 km) east-to-west at its widest point, Israel has four geographic regions—the Mediterranean coastal plain, the hill regions of northern and central Israel, the Great Rift Valley, and the Negev—and a wide range of unique physical features and microclimates.
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The coastal plain is a narrow strip about 115 miles (185 km) long that widens to about 25 miles (40 km) in the south. A sandy shoreline with many beaches borders the Mediterranean coast. Inland to the east, fertile farmland is giving way to growing agricultural settlements and the cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa and their suburbs.
In the north of the country, the mountains of Galilee constitute the highest part of Israel, reaching an elevation of 3,963 feet (1,208 metres) at Mount Meron (Arabic: Jebel Jarmaq). These mountains terminate to the east in an escarpment overlooking the Great Rift Valley. The mountains of Galilee are separated from the hills of the Israeli-occupied West Bank to the south by the fertile Plain of Esdraelon (Hebrew: ʿEmeq Yizreʿel), which, running approximately northwest to southeast, connects the coastal plain with the Great Rift Valley. The Mount Carmel range, which culminates in a peak 1,791 feet (546 metres) high, forms a spur reaching northwest from the highlands of the West Bank, cutting almost to the coast of Haifa.
Dead Sea Dead Sea Columns of salt rising from the extremely saline waters of the Dead Sea.
The Great Rift Valley, a long fissure in Earth’s crust, begins beyond the northern frontier of Israel and forms a series of valleys running generally south, the length of the country, to the Gulf of Aqaba. The Jordan River, which marks part of the frontier between Israel and Jordan, flows southward through the rift from Dan on Israel’s northern frontier, where it is 500 feet (152 metres) above sea level, first into the Ḥula Valley (Hebrew: ʿEmeq HaḤula), then into the freshwater Lake Tiberias, also known as the Sea of Galilee (Hebrew: Yam Kinneret), which lies 686 feet (209 metres) below sea level. The Jordan continues south along the eastern edge of the West Bank—now through the Jordan Valley (Hebrew: ʿEmeq HaYarden)—and finally into the highly saline Dead Sea, which, at 1,312 feet (400 metres) below sea level, is the lowest point of a natural landscape feature on the Earth’s surface. South of the Dead Sea, the Jordan continues through the rift, where it now forms the ʿArava Valley (Hebrew: “savannah”), an arid plain that extends to the Red Sea port of Eilat.
The sparsely populated Negev comprises the southern half of Israel. Arrow-shaped, this flat, sandy desert region narrows toward the south, where it becomes increasingly arid and breaks into sandstone hills cut by wadis, canyons, and cliffs before finally coming to a point where the ʿArava reaches Eilat.
Drainage The principal drainage system comprises Lake Tiberias and the Jordan River. Other rivers in Israel are the Yarqon, which empties into the Mediterranean near Tel Aviv; the Qishon, which runs through the western part of the Plain of Esdraelon to drain into the Mediterranean at Haifa; and a small section of the Yarmūk, a tributary of the Jordan that flows west along the Syria-Jordan border. Most of the country’s remaining streams are ephemeral and flow seasonally as wadis. The rivers are supplemented by a spring-fed underground water table that is tapped by wells. Israel has a chronic water shortage, and its hydraulic resources are fully utilized: about three-fourths for irrigation and the remainder for industrial and household water use.
Soils The coastal plain is covered mainly by alluvial soils. Parts of the arid northern Negev, where soil development would not be expected, have windblown loess soils because of proximity to the coastal plain. The soils of Galilee change from calcareous rock in the coastal plain, to Cenomanian and Turonian limestone (deposited from about 99 to 89 million years ago) in Upper Galilee, and to Eocene formations (those dating from about 55 to 35 million years ago) in the lower part of the region. Rock salt and gypsum are abundant in the Great Rift Valley. The southern Negev is mainly sandstone rock with veins of granite.
Climate of Israel Israel has a wide variety of climatic conditions, caused mainly by the country’s diverse topography. There are two distinct seasons: a cool, rainy winter (October–April) and a dry, hot summer (May–September). Along the coast, sea breezes have a moderating influence in summer, and the Mediterranean beaches are popular. Precipitation is light in the south, amounting to about 1 inch (25 mm) per year in the ʿArava Valley south of the Dead Sea, while in the north it is relatively heavy, up to 44 inches (1,120 mm) a year in the Upper Galilee region. In the large cities, along the coastal plain, annual rainfall averages about 20 inches (508 mm) per year. Precipitation occurs on about 60 days during the year, spread over the rainy season. Severe summer water shortages ensue in years when the rains come late or rainfall totals are less than normal.
Average annual temperatures vary throughout Israel based on elevation and location, with the coastal areas adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea having milder temperatures—ranging from about 84 °F (29 °C) in August to about 61 °F (16 °C) in January—and higher rates of humidity than areas inland, especially during the winter. Likewise, higher elevations, such as Upper Galilee, have cool nights, even in summer, and occasional snows in the winter. However, the coastal city of Eilat, in the south, despite its proximity to the Red Sea, is closer to the climate of the Jordan and ʿArava valleys and the Negev, which are hotter and drier than the northern coast; there, daytime temperatures reach about 70 °F (21 °C) in January and may rise as high as 114 °F (46 °C) in August, when the average high is 104 °F (40 °C).
Encyclopedia Britannica HomeGames & QuizzesHistory & SocietyScience & TechBiographiesAnimals & NatureGeography & TravelArts & CultureMoneyVideos Israel Home Geography & Travel Countries of the World Geography & Travel Israel Also known as: Isrāʾīl, Medinat Yisraʾel, State of Israel Written by , , See All Fact-checked by Last Updated: Dec 15, 2023 • Article History Recent News Dec. 15, 2023, 10:49 AM ET (AP) Live updates | As fighting rages in Gaza, a US envoy is set to meet with the Palestinian president Dec. 15, 2023, 9:04 AM ET (AP) US and Israel discuss when to scale back Gaza combat but agree fight will take months, envoy says Summary Read a brief summary of this topic Israel, country in the Middle East, located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bounded to the north by Lebanon, to the northeast by Syria, to the east and southeast by Jordan, to the southwest by Egypt, and to the west by the Mediterranean Sea. Jerusalem is the seat of government and the proclaimed capital, although the latter status has not received wide international recognition.
Israel flag of Israel Audio File: National anthem of Israel See all media Category: Geography & Travel Arabic: Isrāʾīl Officially: State of Israel or Hebrew: Medinat Yisraʾel Head Of Government: Prime Minister: Benjamin Netanyahu Capital (Proclaimed): Jerusalem; international recognition of its capital status has largely been withheld. Population: (2023 est.) 9,153,0001 Currency Exchange Rate: 1 USD equals 3.834 Israeli shekel Head Of State: President: Isaac Herzog Israel Israel Israel is a small country with a relatively diverse topography, consisting of a lengthy coastal plain, highlands in the north and central regions, and the Negev desert in the south. Running the length of the country from north to south along its eastern border is the northern terminus of the Great Rift Valley.
The State of Israel is the only Jewish nation in the modern period, and the region that now falls within its borders has a lengthy and rich history that dates from prebiblical times. The area was a part of the Roman Empire and, later, the Byzantine Empire before falling under the control of the fledgling Islamic caliphate in the 7th century CE. Although the object of dispute during the Crusades, the region, then generally known as Palestine, remained under the sway of successive Islamic dynasties until the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I, when it was placed under British mandate from the League of Nations.
Even before the mandate, the desire for a Jewish homeland prompted a small number of Jews to immigrate to Palestine, a migration that grew dramatically during the second quarter of the 20th century with the increased persecution of Jews worldwide and subsequent Holocaust perpetrated by Nazi Germany. This vast influx of Jewish immigrants into the region, however, caused tension with the native Palestinian Arabs, and violence flared between the two groups leading up to the United Nations plan to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab sectors and Israel’s ensuing declaration of statehood on May 14, 1948.
Flags of all countries of the world. Flags of the world. National flags. Country flags. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery Britannica Quiz The Country Quiz Israel fought a series of wars against neighbouring Arab states during the next 35 years, which have resulted in ongoing disputes over territory and the status of refugees. Despite continuing tensions, however, Israel concluded peace treaties with several neighbouring Arab states during the final quarter of the 20th century.
Land Relief Physical features of Israel Physical features of Israel Israel: Ḥula Valley Israel: Ḥula Valley Crops and fish farms in the Ḥula Valley, Israel.
Despite its small size, about 290 miles (470 km) north-to-south and 85 miles (135 km) east-to-west at its widest point, Israel has four geographic regions—the Mediterranean coastal plain, the hill regions of northern and central Israel, the Great Rift Valley, and the Negev—and a wide range of unique physical features and microclimates.
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The coastal plain is a narrow strip about 115 miles (185 km) long that widens to about 25 miles (40 km) in the south. A sandy shoreline with many beaches borders the Mediterranean coast. Inland to the east, fertile farmland is giving way to growing agricultural settlements and the cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa and their suburbs.
In the north of the country, the mountains of Galilee constitute the highest part of Israel, reaching an elevation of 3,963 feet (1,208 metres) at Mount Meron (Arabic: Jebel Jarmaq). These mountains terminate to the east in an escarpment overlooking the Great Rift Valley. The mountains of Galilee are separated from the hills of the Israeli-occupied West Bank to the south by the fertile Plain of Esdraelon (Hebrew: ʿEmeq Yizreʿel), which, running approximately northwest to southeast, connects the coastal plain with the Great Rift Valley. The Mount Carmel range, which culminates in a peak 1,791 feet (546 metres) high, forms a spur reaching northwest from the highlands of the West Bank, cutting almost to the coast of Haifa.
Dead Sea Dead Sea Columns of salt rising from the extremely saline waters of the Dead Sea.
The Great Rift Valley, a long fissure in Earth’s crust, begins beyond the northern frontier of Israel and forms a series of valleys running generally south, the length of the country, to the Gulf of Aqaba. The Jordan River, which marks part of the frontier between Israel and Jordan, flows southward through the rift from Dan on Israel’s northern frontier, where it is 500 feet (152 metres) above sea level, first into the Ḥula Valley (Hebrew: ʿEmeq HaḤula), then into the freshwater Lake Tiberias, also known as the Sea of Galilee (Hebrew: Yam Kinneret), which lies 686 feet (209 metres) below sea level. The Jordan continues south along the eastern edge of the West Bank—now through the Jordan Valley (Hebrew: ʿEmeq HaYarden)—and finally into the highly saline Dead Sea, which, at 1,312 feet (400 metres) below sea level, is the lowest point of a natural landscape feature on the Earth’s surface. South of the Dead Sea, the Jordan continues through the rift, where it now forms the ʿArava Valley (Hebrew: “savannah”), an arid plain that extends to the Red Sea port of Eilat.
The sparsely populated Negev comprises the southern half of Israel. Arrow-shaped, this flat, sandy desert region narrows toward the south, where it becomes increasingly arid and breaks into sandstone hills cut by wadis, canyons, and cliffs before finally coming to a point where the ʿArava reaches Eilat.
Drainage The principal drainage system comprises Lake Tiberias and the Jordan River. Other rivers in Israel are the Yarqon, which empties into the Mediterranean near Tel Aviv; the Qishon, which runs through the western part of the Plain of Esdraelon to drain into the Mediterranean at Haifa; and a small section of the Yarmūk, a tributary of the Jordan that flows west along the Syria-Jordan border. Most of the country’s remaining streams are ephemeral and flow seasonally as wadis. The rivers are supplemented by a spring-fed underground water table that is tapped by wells. Israel has a chronic water shortage, and its hydraulic resources are fully utilized: about three-fourths for irrigation and the remainder for industrial and household water use.
Soils The coastal plain is covered mainly by alluvial soils. Parts of the arid northern Negev, where soil development would not be expected, have windblown loess soils because of proximity to the coastal plain. The soils of Galilee change from calcareous rock in the coastal plain, to Cenomanian and Turonian limestone (deposited from about 99 to 89 million years ago) in Upper Galilee, and to Eocene formations (those dating from about 55 to 35 million years ago) in the lower part of the region. Rock salt and gypsum are abundant in the Great Rift Valley. The southern Negev is mainly sandstone rock with veins of granite.
Climate of Israel Israel has a wide variety of climatic conditions, caused mainly by the country’s diverse topography. There are two distinct seasons: a cool, rainy winter (October–April) and a dry, hot summer (May–September). Along the coast, sea breezes have a moderating influence in summer, and the Mediterranean beaches are popular. Precipitation is light in the south, amounting to about 1 inch (25 mm) per year in the ʿArava Valley south of the Dead Sea, while in the north it is relatively heavy, up to 44 inches (1,120 mm) a year in the Upper Galilee region. In the large cities, along the coastal plain, annual rainfall averages about 20 inches (508 mm) per year. Precipitation occurs on about 60 days during the year, spread over the rainy season. Severe summer water shortages ensue in years when the rains come late or rainfall totals are less than normal.
Average annual temperatures vary throughout Israel based on elevation and location, with the coastal areas adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea having milder temperatures—ranging from about 84 °F (29 °C) in August to about 61 °F (16 °C) in January—and higher rates of humidity than areas inland, especially during the winter. Likewise, higher elevations, such as Upper Galilee, have cool nights, even in summer, and occasional snows in the winter. However, the coastal city of Eilat, in the south, despite its proximity to the Red Sea, is closer to the climate of the Jordan and ʿArava valleys and the Negev, which are hotter and drier than the northern coast; there, daytime temperatures reach about 70 °F (21 °C) in January and may rise as high as 114 °F (46 °C) in August, when the average high is 104 °F (40 °C).
Plant and animal life
Natural vegetation is highly varied, and more than 2,800 plant species have been identified. The original evergreen forests, the legendary “cedars of Lebanon,” have largely disappeared after many centuries of timber cutting for shipbuilding and to clear land for cultivation and goat herding; they have been replaced by second-growth oak and smaller evergreen conifers. The hills are mostly covered by maquis, and wildflowers bloom profusely in the rainy season. Only wild desert scrub grows in the Negev and on the sand dunes of the coastal plain. North of Beersheba, most of the country is under cultivation or is used for hill grazing. Where irrigation is available, citrus groves, orchards of subtropical fruit, and food crops flourish. Millions of trees have been planted through a government reforestation program.
Animal life is also diverse. Mammals include wildcats, wild boars, gazelles, ibex, jackals, hyenas, hares, coneys, badgers, and tiger weasels. Notable among the reptiles are geckos and lizards of the genus Agama and vipers such as the carpet, or saw-scaled, viper (Echis carinatus). More than 400 species of birds have been identified in the region, including the partridge, tropical cuckoo, bustard, sand grouse, and desert lark. There are many kinds of fish and insects, and locusts from the desert sometimes invade settled areas. Several regions have been set aside as nature reserves, notably parts of the ʿArava in the south and Mount Carmel, Mount Meron, and the remains of the Ḥula Lake and marshes in the north. The Mediterranean coast and the Jordan and ʿArava valleys are important routes for migratory birds.
Jewish immigration in the 20th century greatly altered the settlement pattern of the country. The first modern-day Jewish settlers established themselves on the coastal plain in the 1880s. Later they also moved into the valleys of the interior and into parts of the hill districts, as well as into the Negev. Small cities such as Haifa and Jerusalem grew in size, and the port of Jaffa (Yafo) sprouted a suburb, Tel Aviv, which grew into one of the largest cities in Israel. Jewish immigrants also settled those areas of the coastal plain, the Judaean foothills, and the Jordan and ʿArava valleys evacuated by Palestinians during the war of 1948, thereby becoming the majority in many areas previously inhabited by Arabs. Although the majority of the Bedouin of the Negev left the region when Israel incorporated the territory, the desert has continued to be largely the domain of the Arab nomads who remained or returned following the end of fighting.
Isaiah 9:6 – For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!’” (Luke 1:26-28).
In one moment of time, young Mary’s life was forever changed. As the angel of the Lord spoke about her future, Mary went from an obscure Jewish teenager to the hand-selected mother of the long-awaited Messiah. Everything changed when she understood her destiny.
Mary didn’t know power or popularity, wealth or fame; we don’t even know her last name. Yet she was chosen above all the women throughout time to bring the greatness of God’s salvation and healing into this world.
It’s the kind of salvation needed by both paupers and presidents, rich and poor, black, white, known and obscure. And such healing would become the spark of life in the darkness of dead men’s souls, and bridge the great divide between lost humanity and a loving God.
Yet her journey was not without difficulty as she had to deal with practical facts: not fully understanding God’s plan, judgmental people speaking lies about her, her own doubts and fears, and trusting God to vindicate and protect her. Mary’s story was a trial of faith. Yet she made it through and so can we.
Because like Mary, we are all, in our own God-ordained way, called to bring something extraordinary into the world.
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
But to do so, we must learn from Mary’s experience.
1. Commit to Personal Righteousness “Personal righteousness” refers to a commitment by believers to live consistent with God’s high calling to carry His light into a lost world. We must commit to display integrity, purity, honor, respect and holiness. Our lives should be examples for others to emulate – not perfect lives without fault, failure or messiness, but lives that are consistent with being on a mission for God Himself.
We must hold grace, not as an excuse to sin, but as a motivating force to live honorably before God. We should neither become judgmental nor a stumbling block to those who desperately need Christ’s forgiveness. Personal righteousness is a battle that we commit to fight in order to be examples of God’s love that helps lead people to salvation.
And I believe “personal righteousness” was a factor in Mary’s selection to bear the Messiah for mankind:
“…to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary” (Luke 1:27).
“Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’” (Luke 1:34).
These verses imply that Mary, who was divinely chosen for this extraordinary task, was chosen partly because of her commitment to personal righteousness. In fact, the Word makes it clear that there is a connection between personal righteousness and God’s decision to entrust great responsibilities to people. This also implies lackluster personal righteousness limits the effectiveness of the individual in their success.
“…let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT).
Anything less than focused commitment to personal righteousness will become a weight that stands in the way of our God-given assignment. And I’m convinced that if we would fight as vehemently for personal righteousness as we do for social righteousness, or pointing out the sins of the world, we would impact the world in much more profound ways!
2. Be Available “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God — and righteousness and sanctification and redemption — that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord’” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)
Translation – you don’t have to be great to do great things for God! The Message Bible has a good contemporary paraphrase highlighting this concept:
“Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don’t see many of ‘the brightest and the best’ among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these ‘nobodies’ to expose the hollow pretensions of the ‘somebodies’? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have — right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start — comes from God by way of Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31 MSG).
Notice here what Mary says of herself:
“For he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed” (Luke 1:48).
“Low estate” means someone who is low in rank, considered vile, or who is humiliated. It describes a person who is down and out, rejected, despised, overlooked or simply not popular!
Although it can’t be proven, some people believe Mary was the least in her father’s house, as if she were under some particular contempt and disgrace among her family – like the Cinderella of ancient Israel. Regardless, it is clear that Mary felt there was nothing extraordinary about Mary! Yet, God chose her.
I remember a ceramic nativity scene my mother would place on a table in our living room every year. As a kid, I wanted to move the wise men across the room somewhere, recalling that Matthew says they arrived when Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were living in a house, which, I reasoned, must have been sometime after the birth of Jesus. The star wouldn’t yet be above the stable, since it moved along before the Magi. And I had heard at church that the stable was probably a cave, since barns, as we think of them today, were rare in ancient Judea. I may have been an odd child, but the details of the story are important to me. Jesus is real, so we ought to get His birthday right, I concluded.
I began to critique my mother’s creche, I had begun to memorize Bible verses at school, the first being 2 Timothy 3:16 – (All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness,) Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. If God breathed out every Word of Scripture, then every word is important. We’re missing out if we gloss over certain points or ignore how God himself tells the story. No matter how comfortable and familiar our nativity scenes may be, we’re only cheating ourselves if we hold on to tradition at the cost of truth.
Shepherds and Wise Men, Egypt and Nazareth! When I was a sophomore in school, my best friend and I were driving back to school from a semester break when we got caught in a terrible snowstorm on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Very quickly the roads turned treacherous, and the visibility grew poor. By the time the weather got really bad, we were too far from home to turn around. At that point the fear of being stopped we thought we might get stuck. At the moment, it made more sense for us to continue on our trip, even if we were moving at a snail’s pace. Before long, I could see the limits of the road only by the guardrails on either side of the highway, and I was doing my best to keep my car’s tires in the tracks left by the 18-wheeler in front of us. Eventually, though, the weather won. My small Chryler TLDR slid, spun, and then went off the road in one of the few places for miles without a guardrail. Actually, we made our unplanned stop in a small ditch just in front of a rest stop – the only one for an hour in either direction, given our limited traveling speed. We had to wait until the next morning for a tow truck to help us get back on our way, but my friend and I were both thankful to be out of the storm, safe and warm. I share this story to illustrate the grace of God-given guardrails. They can help us stay on the road, not only by providing us with visual markers as guides but also by giving us a gentle nudge if we begin to skid into danger. Without them. we might end up stranded on the side of the road and waiting for a tow truck. The nativity narratives in Matthew and Luke are like guardrails
Direction & Authority Matthew 1:22-23 (NASB®) Now all this took place so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: “Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they shall name Him Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”
Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth combines two principles. The first is that God gives direction to His people. The second is that Jesus’ birth fulfilled Old Testament prophecies, such as this one from Isaiah 7:14. If you don’t believe in divine direction or the authority of Scripture, Matthew’s writing will be nothing more than a work of fiction, too fantastic to believe. What about you? Do you believe that God gives direction to His people? Scripture says that He does, and I have seen it proven many times. Do you believe that Scripture is true and has authority? I admit I don’t understand every passage of the Bible, but I believe it and choose to give it authority over my life.
THINK ABOUT IT In this season of tinsel and cookies, let’s pause to consider if our lives truly reflect belief in God’s Word and dependence on the loving direction He gives His people.
PRAYER Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus into the earth. Awaken my ears to listen and my heart to obey. I choose to cooperate with Your Word, yield to Your direction, and submit my will to Yours. Give me strength to complete the course You have created me for. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Amen
Vayeishev
Genesis 37:1-40:23 This action-packed portion tells the story of Joseph’s sale and early years in Egypt, before his rise to fame and fortune. Joseph’s dreams and the attention he garners from his father prompt his brothers’ jealousy, and they set out to destroy him. Initially throwing him in a pit, they fish him out, sell him to traders heading towards Egypt, and trick their father into believing Joseph had been killed. Joseph rises to prominence in his master’s household until his spurned mistress gets him jailed. There, he interprets dreams for two other prisoners. Meanwhile, back in Canaan, we read of Judah’s marriage, and the efforts he makes to find a match for his children.
Virtual Classroom Discussion:
Joseph and his Brothers
If the Torah does not include superfluous details, why do you think the story of the stranger redirecting Joseph towards his brothers is included in the Torah?
The Sale of Joseph
With the many players mentioned in the text and the ambiguous pronouns, this question has troubled Jewish scholars for centuries: who sells Joseph to whom?
As the sun sets on this daymay we pray to rememberthe good that surrounds us,the good that can be. Help us to find our wayto a kinder world.May each of uscontemplate sameness. Our sameness. Our humanity.May leaders from all countriesall religions, all ethnicities,strive for gentle caring. May we look in the mirroreyes and hearts open,and […]
What book are you reading right now? The Name: by Franklin Graham
Blasting The Name!
“Christianity is a religion for losers,” said one famous American billionaire.
“Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers,” said a famous politician. It makes no sense! What drives two such otherwise intelligent, motivated, and successful men to publicly slam the followers of the greatest Name in history?
Today in the Word logo FULL ISSUE • RESOURCES • GIVE Come Let Us Rebuild. A Study of Nehemiah. Called to Be Holy Saturday, November 18 | 1 Corinthians 1:1–9 On the Go? Listen Now!
Is this person “the one”? Should I pursue this job or that one? Is now the time to move or invest or retire? Whenever we are confused or concerned about more specific questions of calling, God’s general call anchors us.
When we don’t know what to do, we ask God for wisdom, walk in faith, and pursue what He asks of all His followers all the time. While we may not even know how to pray, the Spirit utters groanings (Rom. 8:26).
In today’s passage, Paul introduced himself to the church at Corinth—one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire, strategically located on a major trade route. Paul had spent many months in Corinth during his second missionary journey, establishing this church. Corinth, however, was also full of sin: immorality, idolatry, greed.
Three years later, Paul learned that the Corinthian church was struggling. He begins his letter by reasserting his own credibility: “Paul, called [kletos] to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God” (v. 1). God had given Paul this position and bestowed on him the authority to speak on His behalf.
He reminded the Corinthians of God’s call on them to be “holy” (v. 2). They were to be set apart and pure. This expectation was not unique to them! Paul explained that it was for “all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 2).
Ancient letters typically included a word of thanks after the greeting, and Paul follows that convention (vv. 4–9). Despite the corruptness in Corinth, Paul expressed gratitude for God’s grace to them—in the form of teaching and spiritual gifts. Paul’s hope was in God who is faithful, and who had called (kaleo) the Corinthian church into fellowship with Christ.
>> When we are confused about a difficult decision, we can be anchored by our faith in Christ and God’s call for us to be “holy” (v. 2). How does Paul’s challenge for believers to be set apart for God’s purpose affect your choices?
Pray with Us Father, from sinful temptations to worldly pressures, the Enemy has many tactics to distract and misdirect us. Help us pursue You with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength (Deut. 6:5).
Your life without a computer: what does it look like? I was born in 1972! We didn’t have a personal computer for our homes. We did have them in our schools! I learned to use one by seventh grade!
“Laughter helps you put everything into perspective.”
Who is God? Images of God in the Old Testament. God as Shepherd: Part 1 Wednesday, September 13 | Ezekiel 34:1–31 On the Go? Listen Now!
What animal is mentioned most often in the Bible? If you guessed “sheep,” you are right! Sheep were an important part of the economy of ancient Israel. It is no surprise that many biblical characters spent at least some of their life as shepherds, including Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Moses, David, and Amos.
Shepherding in Israel was different than it is today. There were no fenced-in fields. Instead, shepherds had to be with their sheep to protect them from predators, lead them to good pasture, shelter them from the weather, and tend to their injuries. Shepherds became symbols of good leadership. Like shepherds, good leaders are compassionate, caring, and protective of those under their care.
In today’s reading, God denounces the so-called shepherds of Israel. The priests and leaders of Israel had failed. They had extorted their people and did not care for them (vv. 2–4). They have not tended the sick and weak or sought the lost. They did not lead with compassion but with harsh brutality (v. 4).
God declares that He will personally shepherd His people (v. 11). He will seek the lost, heal the sick, provide, and protect His people (vv. 11–14). This type of leadership is personal, sacrificial, and loving. He protects the weak from the oppression of the strong (vv. 20–21).
In verses 23–24, God says He will shepherd His people through “my servant David.” Ezekiel is writing during the exile, long after David. The promise is that there will be a coming Davidic ruler who will be the ultimate Good Shepherd. This promise is fulfilled by the Lord Jesus. Jesus declared, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).
As followers of Jesus, we have a Shepherd who cares for us, guides us, protects us, and loves us. What a gift this is! Perhaps it is time to return to your image journal and paint an image of a Shepherd caring for the sheep.
Pray with Us You truly are the good shepherd. The longer we follow You, the more we are amazed by Your careful guidance and discipline. We look back and see the ways You directed our steps, even when we didn’t know it. Thank You, Father!
Isaiah 62:6: “I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night.”
And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak. 2 Corinthians 4:13
SPEAKING OUT IN FAITH Do you know that as God’s child, you can speak positively into your negative situation and see it change for the better?
Let me show you some scriptures about faith and speaking that will help you. Romans 10:9 tells us that “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”. Our Lord Jesus also said, “Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says” (Mark 11:23).
Now, reread what the apostle Paul wrote in today’s verse. Do you notice a pattern here? Faith involves believing in your heart as well as speaking with your mouth. You and I, we are made in God’s image. When God first saw darkness, He didn’t say, “Gosh, it’s so dark.” What did God do? He called forth light by speaking. He said, “Let there be light” (Gen. 1:3).
In the New Testament, our Lord Jesus spoke to the storm and it subsided. He spoke to the fig tree and it withered. He spoke to the demons and they fled. He spoke to the sick and they were healed. He spoke to the dead and they lived.
Similarly, when we are faced with darkness in any area of our lives today, or trapped in a storm of challenges, let’s not be mired in looking at the problems and despairing. We should also call forth what we want to see! If we find ourselves caught in a dangerous situation, we should declare, “The Lord is my refuge and my fortress.” If there is a sickness in our body, we can call forth our healing by saying, “Thank You, Jesus, by Your stripes I am healed!” Start speaking forth your protection, your health, and your victory today!
Shalom Friends,
Messianic Israelis and International Believers call for 1,000,000 to Pray One Hour for Israel on Yom Kippur.
A coalition of ministries will broadcast the online prayer meeting on Yom Kippur/The Day of Atonement between Jerusalem and Kansas City.
As Jewish people fast (Lev. 23:27), and believers will pray for the salvation of Israel.
GOD TV will host the feed at 10AM EST/5PM Israel on September 25th.
Over 5,000,000 believers came together this spring from May 7th to May 28th to pray at least one hour a day for Israel. This initiative was the brainchild of Mike Bickle and the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. Their initial goal was to see 1,000,000 believers take their stand on the walls of Jerusalem, drawing inspiration from Isaiah 62:6: “I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night.”
Bickle was overwhelmed when 5,000,000 believers and 12,000 different ministries pledged to pray. They opened Isaiah62fast.com to be a hub to promote prayer for Israel. These 12,000 ministries, “put their information on the Isaiah 62 website,” shared Mike Bickle. “That website is only a mobilizing website for Israel prayer. It is not a conference website, it’s not a book website, [and] it’s not a ‘come and hear us’ website. It is a ‘here’s the people that will mobilize people in their geographic area prayer for Israel.”
Yom Kippur Hour of Prayer
Last Yom Kippur, Ron Cantor, president of Shelanu TV in Tel Aviv, organized a one-hour prayer event on GOD TV during Yom Kippur. “The idea was to see believers praying for Israel at the very time that Jewish people worldwide are praying and fasting.” Ron, who moved to Israel in 2003, says the goal was always to get to one million people, but he was willing to wait. “I felt it would take at least five years to build that kind of momentum.”
But when he saw the success of the Isaiah 62 fast campaign, he contacted Bickle. “I was on the rooftop of a hotel in Jerusalem praying the morning after the final event for the Isaiah 62 fast. It was as clear as day to me that I needed to recruit Mike. “I said ‘Mike, if I call people to pray on Yom Kippur, we might get a few hundred people, maybe 1,000. But people trust you as an international prayer leader. Would you put your voice behind this effort?’ I knew if he did, we could see more than 1,000,000 people praying for Israel on September 25th, Yom Kippur. He didn’t hesitate; he immediately said yes.”
Bickle says the goal is to “[Mobilize] believers around the world to stand together on Yom Kippur, to cry out to the Lord for a visitation of power upon the Jewish people across the world.” During Yom Kippur, “Millions of Jewish people are posturing themselves in a place to hear God; they are making themselves vulnerable to the Holy Spirit—whether they know it or not. And then, we’ve got a million believers around the world crying out for a visitation upon these hearts.”
Cantor, who also serves as GOD TV’s Israel director, explains, “The ultimate world- wide, end-time revival is contingent on the Jewish people accepting Yeshua (Jesus). If you look at Romans 11:12, Paul says that Jewish rejection caused the book of Acts revival—what Paul call ‘riches.’ Then he says, if Israel’s rejection caused an unprecedented, worldwide, spiritual earthquake, imagine how much of a greater revival—or in his word—’greater riches’—will come on the world when the Jewish people accept the gospel!”
The plan to is to gather at 10am EST/5pm Israel to pray for one hour for Israel. You can tune in to a special simulcast between Jerusalem and Kansas City. This will air on God TV’s Facebook page here.
“We are asking 1,000,000 of you for one hour” says Bickle, “on Yom Kippur.” During the May event, “twos and threes met in homes. Twos and threes even met in cars with their cell phones; they met in dorm rooms. Some of them met in the church foyer….”
“Isaiah 62 speaks of God placing watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem,” says Cantor. “If the prophet is speaking to the people of Jerusalem, then the watchmen are obviously not Jewish—they are from outside of Israel. I believe that Isaiah is looking ahead to a time when more than a billion non-Jews will have embraced the Jewish Messiah, Jesus. They will recognize that the gospel came to them through the Jewish people and will commit themselves to be Watchmen for Israel, contending for her salvation.
“God tells these watchmen to give themselves no rest and to give God no rest, till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.’”
Beloved, you’re so precious and loved by the Lord. If you’re trusting the Lord for healing for yourself or your loved ones, can I encourage you to keep looking to Jesus and see His finished work that has paid for your healing? His heart is to see you happy, healthy, and whole! To help build your faith during this season
The Gospel of Mark was written by John Mark whose life was shaped by three men. First, his cousin Barnabas invited him to join him and Paul on their first missionary trip. Sadly, Mark deserted Paul and Barnabas along the way. That upset Paul, who was the second great influence on Mark’s life. Paul refused to take the young man on their next trip, and Paul’s rebuke must have stung like a rod.
That’s when Peter stepped in. We know from trustworthy traditions that Peter took Mark under his wing, traveled with him, and used him as an interpreter. Mark listened to Peter’s stories of Christ over and over, and Mark put it all down on paper, writing his Gospel based largely on Peter’s accounts.
God sends various people into our life. Some encourage us. Some rebuke us. Some help us recover. They all play a part in shaping us to be the person God wants us to be, and we should be thankful for them. What people have left a mark on your life?
The kindly tutelage of Barnabas…. The stern discipline of Paul…. The influence of Peter…. The Holy Spirit may well have used all three factors…to perform his marvelous work [in Mark’s life].
Ezekiel 28:1 – 32:32 (nkjv) PROCLAMATION AGAINST THE KING OF TYRE 28 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, 2 “Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, ‘Thus says the Lord God:
“Because your heart is lifted up, And you say, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods, In the midst of the seas,’ Yet you are a man, and not a god, Though you set your heart as the heart of a god 3 (Behold, you are wiser than Daniel! There is no secret that can be hidden from you! 4 With your wisdom and your understanding You have gained riches for yourself, And gathered gold and silver into your treasuries; 5 By your great wisdom in trade you have increased your riches, And your heart is lifted up because of your riches),”
6 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord God:
“Because you have set your heart as the heart of a god, 7 Behold, therefore, I will bring strangers against you, The most terrible of the nations; And they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom, And defile your splendor. 8 They shall throw you down into the Pit, And you shall die the death of the slain In the midst of the seas.
9 “Will you still say before him who slays you, ‘I am a god’? But you shall be a man, and not a god, In the hand of him who slays you. 10 You shall die the death of the uncircumcised By the hand of aliens; For I have spoken,” says the Lord God.’”
trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you, And I turned you to ashes upon the earth In the sight of all who saw you. 19 All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you; You have become a horror, And shall be no more forever.”’”
PROCLAMATION AGAINST SIDON 20 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
O Pharaoh king of Egypt, O great monster who lies in the midst of his rivers, Who has said, ‘My River is my own; I have made it for myself.’ 4 But I will put hooks in your jaws, And cause the fish of your rivers to stick to your scales; I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers, And all the fish in your rivers will stick to your scales.
Ezekiel 28:1 – 32:32 (nkjv) 5 I will leave you in the wilderness,You and all the fish of your rivers;You shall fall on the open field;You shall not be picked up or gathered.I have given you as foodTo the beasts of the fieldAnd to the birds of the heavens. 6 “Then all the inhabitants of Egypt Shall know that I am the Lord, Because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. 7 When they took hold of you with the hand, You broke and tore all their shoulders; When they leaned on you, You broke and made all their backs quiver.”
8 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will bring a sword upon you and cut off from you man and beast. 9 And the land of Egypt shall become desolate and waste; then they will know that I am the Lord, because he said, ‘The River is mine, and I have made it.’ 10 Indeed, therefore, I am against you and against your rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Ethiopia. 11 Neither foot of man shall pass through it nor foot of beast pass through it, and it shall be uninhabited forty years. 12 I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate; and among the cities that are laid waste, her cities shall be desolate forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries.”
13 ‘Yet, thus says the Lord God: “At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered. 14 I will bring back the captives of Egypt and cause them to return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom.
15 It shall be the lowliest of kingdoms; it shall never again exalt itself above the nations, for I will diminish them so that they will not rule over the nations anymore. 16 No longer shall it be the confidence of the house of Israel, but will remind them of their iniquity when they turned to follow them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord God.”’” BABYLONIA WILL PLUNDER EGYPT 17 And it came to pass in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 18 “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to labor strenuously against Tyre; every head was made bald, and every shoulder rubbed raw; yet neither he nor his army received wages from Tyre, for the labor which they expended on it. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Surely I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he shall take away her wealth, carry off her spoil, and remove her pillage; and that will be the wages for his army. 20 I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor, because they worked for Me,’ says the Lord God.
21 ‘In that day I will cause the horn of the house of Israel to spring forth, and I will open your mouth to speak in their midst. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.’”
EGYPT AND HER ALLIES WILL FALL 30 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God:
“Wail, ‘Woe to the day!’ 3 For the day is near, Even the day of the Lord is near; It will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles.
4 The sword shall come upon Egypt,And great anguish shall be in Ethiopia,When the slain fall in Egypt,And they take away her wealth,And her foundations are broken down. 5 “Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, all the mingled people, Chub, and the men of the lands who are allied, shall fall with them by the sword.”
6 ‘Thus says the Lord:
“Those who uphold Egypt shall fall, And the pride of her power shall come down. From Migdol to Syene Those within her shall fall by the sword,” Says the Lord God. 7 “They shall be desolate in the midst of the desolate countries, And her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are laid waste. 8 Then they will know that I am the Lord, When I have set a fire in Egypt And all her helpers are destroyed. 9 On that day messengers shall go forth from Me in ships To make the careless Ethiopians afraid, And great anguish shall come upon them, As on the day of Egypt; For indeed it is coming!”
10 ‘Thus says the Lord God:
“I will also make a multitude of Egypt to cease By the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. 11 He and his people with him, the most terrible of the nations, Shall be brought to destroy the land; They shall draw their swords against Egypt, And fill the land with the slain. 12 I will make the rivers dry, And sell the land into the hand of the wicked; I will make the land waste, and all that is in it, By the hand of aliens. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
13 ‘Thus says the Lord God:
“I will also destroy the idols, And cause the images to cease from Noph; There shall no longer be princes from the land of Egypt; I will put fear in the land of Egypt.
14 I will make Pathros desolate,Set fire to Zoan,And execute judgments in No.15 I will pour My fury on Sin, the strength of Egypt;I will cut off the multitude of No,16 And set a fire in Egypt;Sin shall have great pain,No shall be split open,And Noph shall be in distress daily.17 The young men of Aven and Pi Beseth shall fall by the sword,And these cities shall go into captivity.18 At Tehaphnehes the day shall also be darkened,When I break the yokes of Egypt there.And her arrogant strength shall cease in her;As for her, a cloud shall cover her,And her daughters shall go into captivity.19 Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt,Then they shall know that I am the Lord.”’” PROCLAMATION AGAINST PHARAOH 20 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 21 “Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and see, it has not been bandaged for healing, nor a splint put on to bind it, to make it strong enough to hold a sword. 22 Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Surely I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, both the strong one and the one that was broken; and I will make the sword fall out of his hand. 23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them throughout the countries.
24 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put My sword in his hand; but I will break Pharaoh’s arms, and he will groan before him with the groanings of a mortally wounded man. 25 Thus I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; they shall know that I am the Lord, when I put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt. 26 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.’” EGYPT CUT DOWN LIKE A GREAT TREE 31 Now it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude:
‘Whom are you like in your greatness? 3 Indeed Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, With fine branches that shaded the forest, And of high stature; And its top was among the thick boughs. 4 The waters made it grow; Underground waters gave it height, With their rivers running around the place where it was planted, And sent out rivulets to all the trees of the field.
5 ‘Therefore its height was exalted above all the trees of the field; Its boughs were multiplied, And its branches became long because of the abundance of water, As it sent them out. 6 All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; Under its branches all the beasts of the field brought forth their young; And in its shadow all great nations made their home.
7 ‘Thus it was beautiful in greatness and in the length of its branches, Because its roots reached to abundant waters.
8 The cedars in the garden of God could not hide it;The fir trees were not like its boughs,And the chestnut trees were not like its branches;No tree in the garden of God was like it in beauty.9 I made it beautiful with a multitude of branches,So that all the trees of Eden envied it,That were in the garden of God.’ 10 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have increased in height, and it set its top among the thick boughs, and its heart was lifted up in its height, 11 therefore I will deliver it into the hand of the mighty one of the nations, and he shall surely deal with it; I have driven it out for its wickedness. 12 And aliens, the most terrible of the nations, have cut it down and left it; its branches have fallen on the mountains and in all the valleys; its boughs lie broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the peoples of the earth have gone from under its shadow and left it.
13 ‘On its ruin will remain all the birds of the heavens, And all the beasts of the field will come to its branches—
14 ‘So that no trees by the waters may ever again exalt themselves for their height, nor set their tops among the thick boughs, that no tree which drinks water may ever be high enough to reach up to them.
‘For they have all been delivered to death, To the depths of the earth, Among the children of men who go down to the Pit.’
15 “Thus says the Lord God: ‘In the day when it went down to hell, I caused mourning. I covered the deep because of it. I restrained its rivers, and the great waters were held back. I caused Lebanon to mourn for it, and all the trees of the field wilted because of it. 16 I made the nations shake at the sound of its fall, when I cast it down to hell together with those who descend into the Pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the depths of the earth. 17 They also went down to hell with it, with those slain by the sword; and those who were its strong arm dwelt in its shadows among the nations.
10 Yes, I will make many peoples astonished at you, and their kings shall be horribly afraid of you when I brandish My sword before them; and they shall tremble every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of your fall. 11 ‘For thus says the Lord God: “The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon you. 12 By the swords of the mighty warriors, all of them the most terrible of the nations, I will cause your multitude to fall.
“They shall plunder the pomp of Egypt, And all its multitude shall be destroyed. 13 Also I will destroy all its animals From beside its great waters; The foot of man shall muddy them no more, Nor shall the hooves of animals muddy them. 14 Then I will make their waters clear, And make their rivers run like oil,” Says the Lord God.
15 “When I make the land of Egypt desolate, And the country is destitute of all that once filled it, When I strike all who dwell in it, Then they shall know that I am the Lord.
16 “This is the lamentation With which they shall lament her; The daughters of the nations shall lament her; They shall lament for her, for Egypt, And for all her multitude,” Says the Lord God.’”
EGYPT AND OTHERS CONSIGNED TO THE PIT 17 It came to pass also in the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
18 “Son of man, wail over the multitude of Egypt, And cast them down to the depths of the earth, Her and the daughters of the famous nations, With those who go down to the Pit: 19 ‘Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down, be placed with the uncircumcised.’
around it, All of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, Though they caused their terror in the land of the living. 27 They do not lie with the mighty Who are fallen of the uncircumcised, Who have gone down to hell with their weapons of war; They have laid their swords under their heads, But their iniquities will be on their bones, Because of the terror of the mighty in the land of the living. 28 Yes, you shall be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, And lie with those slain by the sword.
29 “There is Edom, Her kings and all her princes, Who despite their might Are laid beside those slain by the sword; They shall lie with the uncircumcised, And with those who go down to the Pit.
30 There are the princes of the north,All of them, and all the Sidonians,Who have gone down with the slainIn shame at the terror which they caused by their might;They lie uncircumcised with those slain by the sword,And bear their shame with those who go down to the Pit. 31 “Pharaoh will see them And be comforted over all his multitude, Pharaoh and all his army, Slain by the sword,” Says the Lord God.
32 “For I have caused My terror in the land of the living; And he shall be placed in the midst of the uncircumcised With those slain by the sword, Pharaoh and all his multitude,” Says the Lord God.
What brings a tear of joy to your eye? And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. Act 2:42
Diligence: Commitment & Hard Work 1 Timothy 4:15-16 (NIV®) Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
Paul invested himself in many people, and here we get to listen in on some of his advice to his protégé, Timothy. He is coaching Timothy about setting goals and what he needs to do to achieve them. He wants this young man to understand a successful spiritual life will not be easy; it will require commitment and hard work. “Be diligent,” he says. “Give yourself completely. Guard your life and doctrine. Persevere.” I think if Paul were to walk into one of our church meetings today, he would tell us the time for a casual faith, a faith we can fit in around our hobbies and other interests, is gone. If we’re going to make spiritual progress and bring other people along with us, we’re going to have to be focused on the things of God—so much so that the changes in us are obvious to everyone around us.
THINK ABOUT IT “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6, NKJV®)
PRAYER Heavenly Father, I want to be pleasing in Your sight and cultivate an intentional faith that activates spiritual growth and a God-awareness in those around me. Help me seek You with diligent commitment and the hard work necessary to fulfill Your purposes. In Jesus’ name, amen.
The apostles dropped everything and followed Jesus even though they felt that they were sinners. I’m sure they didn’t have a clue what would be expected of them, but they still said yes. We are called by Jesus to follow him. So what is holding us back? Are we afraid of what others may think of us? Do we just not want to do what we are being called to do? Are we more like Jonah than the apostles? There have been times in my life when I felt God calling me and I walked – no ran – in the opposite direction. You have to understand that the ONE thing I never wanted to do in life was teach! Given how I have spent the last 40 years, you might find that surprising, but it’s true. However, when I was in college my father suggested that I take some courses that I could fall back on if my life’s direction changed. So, I took some ed courses. Then in grad school I was assigned the task of helping out in the education department and discovered not only that teaching wasn’t that bad, but that I had been a teacher right along without even being aware of it! Now, if I had been like Peter, Andrew, James and John, I would have studied to become a teacher right away, but I’m not sure it would have been the right decision at the time. Jonah had to learn a few things before he set off for Nineveh. Maybe he wouldn’t have been as successful if he hadn’t experienced God’s power. There are others who know right away that God is calling them in a particular way and trust that God knows best. There are also those who reject God’s call – like the rich young man in another Gospel story – because they don’t want to give up whatever plans, possessions or habits they have that they feel are more important. If you are like me and Jonah, then know that God keeps calling us and when the time is right we follow his directions. If you are like the apostles, I congratulate you on your faithfulness. If you feel as though you fall in the third category, please know that with God all things are possible and trust that the path he has chosen for you will far outweigh any plans you have made for yourself.
People of the early church were devoted to the apostle’s teachings and fellowship. Fellowship encourages unity and growth along with spiritual friendships. These friendships are treasures when we feel alone or need encouragement and guidance while carrying a heavy burden. We enjoy being unified with our church family and are thankful for the opportunity to praise the Lord together.
Dear Lord, we are grateful for our church family and the precious friends You’ve gifted us for good works and fellowship. We will continue to establish and maintain these treasured relationships. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
“I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put My words in His mouth.” (Deuteronomy 18:18)
Fifty days after the Israelites were redeemed from Egypt, they met God as a nation at the foot of Mount Sinai.
The LORD descended on the mountain in fire, and it smoked like a furnace. A dense cloud wrapped the mountain and it trembled violently. Lightning flashed and thunder erupted. The sound of the Shofar of God grew louder and louder as Moses spoke to the LORD and He answered. (Exodus 19)
Think about it—the entire community heard God speak! It was a national revelation, an experience that is unique in the history of religion.
This is no mere legend passed down through the centuries. It was an awe-inspiring, terrifying time that all the Israelites experienced.
A Prophet Like Moses
“The Lord said to Moses, ‘I will come to you in a thick cloud and let the people hear Me speak to you. Then they will always trust you.’” (Exodus 19:9)
The scene was so intense and frightening that after hearing the LORD speak, the people feared for their lives and begged Moses to mediate between them and God.
“They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.’” (Exodus 20:18–19)
In other words, they were not just following Moses blindly. They had their own experience with God.
Later, when Moses recounted this terrifying meeting with the LORD at Sinai, he reminded them that they had asked for an intermediary to speak directly to God on their behalf and convey God’s words to them.
Moses did not rebuke the children of Israel for asking for a mediator. Instead, the LORD said that the people had spoken well. Moses then imparted to them the great Messianic hope—that a Prophet like him would come.
The Lord promised Moses:
“I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put My words in His mouth. He will tell them everything I command Him. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to My words that the prophet speaks in My name.” (Deuteronomy 18:18–19)
That Prophet is the Messiah.
This passage in Deuteronomy is the only place in the Torah where Moses explicitly identifies a singular “prophet” like him.
Nevertheless, it remains an important prophecy.
During the time before the birth of Yeshua (Jesus) and throughout His life and ministry, Israel was characterized by an expectation that this Prophet was about to be revealed.
Yochanan (John the Immerser or Baptist) heralded the coming of Messiah.
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Messianic Expectations in Second Temple Times
John the Baptist’s ministry was so powerful and effective that the Pharisees sent Priests (Cohanim) and Levites (Leviim) to him, wondering if, perhaps, John himself might be the long-awaited Prophet. (John 1:21)
John indicated that the one who came after him was the Messiah, the Prophet like Moses for whom they were waiting. (John 1:15)
Soon after, John revealed Him:
“The next day John saw Yeshua coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’” (John 1:29–30)
In Acts 3, Peter also tells the men of Israel in no uncertain terms that Yeshua (Jesus) is this long-awaited prophet.
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that He may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Yeshua.
“Heaven must receive Him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as He promised long ago through His holy prophets. For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything He tells you. Anyone who does not listen to Him will be completely cut off from their people.’” (Acts 3:19–23)
And in Acts 7, Stephen also associates Yeshua with this same prophecy when he proclaims Yeshua as Messiah prior to being stoned by the council members.
Still many may wonder: how is Yeshua a prophet like Moses?
There are actually many ways, but let’s look at seven:
1) Bread from Heaven
God used both Moses and Yeshua to miraculously feed Israel.
Moses fed the Israelites with manna in the wilderness. (Exodus 16:14–17)
Twice, Yeshua miraculously fed the people: once He fed five thousand with five loaves and two fish, and another time he fed four thousand with seven loaves and a few fish. (Matthew 14:19–21 and 15:36)
Moreover, Yeshua, referring to the manna that sustained Israel in the wilderness, said that He was the True Manna that came from Heaven:
“Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven…. I am the Bread of Life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” (John 6:32–51)
The challah that is served on Shabbat (the Sabbath) is a traditional representation of the manna that fell from the heavens when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness.
11 Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” I was cupbearer to the king.
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Hi Delana,
Despite the fact that it proved to be mostly a false alarm, the “Powder Alarm” of Sept 1-2, 1774 showed the colonists that the British were serious – and willing to use gun control efforts to subjugate them.
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
In response, thousands of people armed up and started streaming towards Boston to fight off the aggressors in what became a precursor to Lexington and Concord just a few months later.
Of course, they don’t really teach this in the government-run propaganda centers/schools.
First, some quick background.
In the aftermath of the Boston Tea Party, the British Parliament passed the “Coercive Acts.” Among other moves, the British closed the port of Boston and revoked Massachusetts’ charter, bringing the colony under the total control of the British government.
These actions further inflamed tensions between the British and the American colonists. Many colonists saw this as a further attempt to strip them of their right to self-rule and force them into submission.
As noted by American History Central, The people of Massachusetts began to plan for the worst.
Many of the towns throughout the colony were in the habit of storing weapons and ammunition in storehouses throughout the colony, including the Provincial Powder House on Quarry Hill in Charlestown. Slowly, and quietly, the towns started removing their weapons and ammunition from the storehouses.
General Gage, the military governor of Massachusetts, felt the best way to deal with this and keep the peace would be to disarm the colonists as much as possible.
Yes, that’s just what empires have always done.
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Hi Delana,
Despite the fact that it proved to be mostly a false alarm, the “Powder Alarm” of Sept 1-2, 1774 showed the colonists that the British were serious – and willing to use gun control efforts to subjugate them.
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
In response, thousands of people armed up and started streaming towards Boston to fight off the aggressors in what became a precursor to Lexington and Concord just a few months later.
Of course, they don’t really teach this in the government-run propaganda centers/schools.
First, some quick background.
In the aftermath of the Boston Tea Party, the British Parliament passed the “Coercive Acts.” Among other moves, the British closed the port of Boston and revoked Massachusetts’ charter, bringing the colony under the total control of the British government.
These actions further inflamed tensions between the British and the American colonists. Many colonists saw this as a further attempt to strip them of their right to self-rule and force them into submission.
As noted by American History Central, The people of Massachusetts began to plan for the worst.
Many of the towns throughout the colony were in the habit of storing weapons and ammunition in storehouses throughout the colony, including the Provincial Powder House on Quarry Hill in Charlestown. Slowly, and quietly, the towns started removing their weapons and ammunition from the storehouses.
General Gage, the military governor of Massachusetts, felt the best way to deal with this and keep the peace would be to disarm the colonists as much as possible.
Yes, that’s just what empires have always done. It was Gun Control: The Powder Alarm and the Road to Independence.
Today in History: British Seizure of Gunpowder Leads to “Powder Alarm”
On Aug 27, William Brattle, the leader of the provincial militia, snitched in a letter to Gage to let him know the colonists were taking their powder, and that only “the King’s supply” remained. Gage, of course, determined that the remaining powder had to be taken and brought to Boston for “safekeeping.”
On Sept 1, Gage sent sheriff David Phips, along with a force of 250+ Redcoats, with orders to remove the power – and Brattle handed him the keys. Most of the troops returned to Boston, but a small detachment marched to Cambridge and seized two artillery pieces assigned to the Middlesex County militia.
But with that many troops assembled in Boston common and sailing up the Mystic river at 4 or 5am – it’s not surprising that rumors of an all-out war started to spread like wildfire.
There were multiple reports of the British killing a number of people, Boston getting bombarded by warships, and more.
Rev Ezra Stiles was informed that 6 men were killed. Silas Deane heard a mob descended on Brattle’s house, and troops opened fire with “a large number wounded.” Rev. Stephen Williams heard that Boston “was demolished.” And within days, news traveled to Philadelphia, where John Adams was given what he called a confused but alarming account of a potential “bombardment of Boston.”
Despite the fact that these all turned out to be rumors only – at least for the time being – how the people responded was nothing short of remarkable.
Immediately, as many as 5000 – and upwards of 20,000 people armed up and started streaming towards Boston from as far away as Connecticut. One traveler in Shrewsbury reported that in the space of 15 minutes, 50 men had gathered, equipped themselves, sent out messengers to surrounding towns, and left for Boston.
Within 24 hours, several thousand Massachusetts farmers marched in Cambridge demanding that Attorney General Jonathan Sewall, council members Samuel Danforth and Joseph Lee – and Sheriff David Phips – resign or apologize for the actions they took. They then moved to Lt. Gov. Thomas Oliver’s home and threatened him into signing a resignation. Brattle – the snitch – was forced to flee.
It quickly became clear that the rumors of a hot war were false. As the facts overtook the rumors, the colonial militias returned home.
But the threat of more British gun control was still very much on their minds and they were right to worry.
The King then banned the importation of all arms and ammunition without a permit. And guess what – no one was ever issued a permit.
Lord Dartmouth, the Royal Sec. of State for America – suggested more aggressive measures. He urged Gage to “Upon no account suffer the Inhabitants of at least the Town of Boston to assemble themselves in arms on any pretence whatever, either of town guard or Militia duty.”
Another letter to Gage was even more aggressive:
“all cannon, small arms, and other military stores of every kind, that may be either in any magazine, or secreted for the purpose of aiding the rebellion, should also be seized and secreted”
We know what happened – and with a goal of confiscation, the British marched on Lexington and Concord in April 1775.
Happy Labor Day weekend! Like many of you, I’ve been looking forward all week to the Monday holiday, thinking about how I’ll take advantage of the extra time out of the office. But this year I’ve also been thinking about Labor Day itself, its importance, and the ways I do – or don’t – appreciate the significance and the dignity of labor in my daily life.
Labor Day may be a secular holiday, but considering the Benedictine tradition of ora et labora (prayer and work), a holiday dedicated to labor and laborers seems particularly appropriate to life at the Abbey. In a way, prayer is an expression of our relationship with God, while work is an expression, or recognition, of our relationship with others and with creation.
Given this, and the value of Benedictine hallmarks like discipline, humility, and stewardship, I’m realizing that I don’t always recognize those whose labor is actually a ubiquitous presence in my daily life.
When I get up in the morning and switch on the light, I don’t think about those at work in the power plant supplying my electricity, or the technicians who keep it running all over the county and the state. I don’t necessarily think about the manufacturing labor involved in the dress I put on or the agricultural, transportation, and service labor that brings the fruit or the coffee to my breakfast table. When you stop and reflect on it, it’s astonishing how many people we need to be grateful for as we carry out our day-to-day lives.
The monks of Belmont Abbey have taught me that work is a part of the daily rhythm of our vocations. Labor allows us to exercise patience, endurance, and generosity, and it gives us the opportunity to imitate our Creator, who is, after all, at work in the ongoing creation of the world.
As we celebrate this Labor Day weekend, let’s try to value the work we do and the work we receive as means of strengthening community and embracing responsibility for each other. Let’s remember to show our gratitude to each other and uphold the dignity of work and of workers in our words and deeds.
That in all things God may be glorified,
Today in the Word logo
Who is God? Images of God in the Old Testament. Images of God Friday, September 01 | Psalm 23:1–6 On the Go? Listen Now!
“The LORD is my shepherd.” Psalm 23 contains one of the most famous images of God in the Bible. In the original language, the phrase is only two words long. Yet, it would take a whole book to fully unpack its depth of meaning.
This month, we will look at the way God reveals His character to us through images. In the Old Testament, God is described as a light, a shield, a rock, an eagle, a potter, a craftsman, an artist, a warrior, and a king, to name just a few.
The images of God in the Bible are not meant to be exact or perfect representations. When the Bible compares God to a shepherd, it helps us more fully understand who He is. For example, shepherds in ancient Israel were often servants or hired hands. This does not mean that God is a hired hand.
But Psalm 23 shows us how God is like a shepherd. He provides for us: “I lack nothing” (v. 1). What a powerful statement! He guides our way and cares for our needs: “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters” (v. 2). God protects, loves, and cares for His people. In the same way, we are a lot like sheep. We trust our Shepherd and are blessed when we follow Him.
A theologian explains how the Bible’s use of metaphor helps ignite our understanding: “Metaphor consists in bringing two sets of ideas close together, close enough for a spark to jump, but not too close, so that the spark, in jumping, illuminates for a moment the whole area around, changing perceptions as it does so.” We hope that this study will draw you closer to God and deepen your understanding of who He is.
>> Since we are studying images, why not start a picture journal? Whether you are artistic or just love to doodle, try to capture images that teach you something about God using paint, colored pencils, or even crayons.
Pray with Us Heavenly Father, as our Shepherd we ask You to guide our study of the Old Testament this month. You have chosen each of these images to reveal Yourself in a way we can grasp; may this study enhance our understanding of You.
What’s your favorite recipe? Anything with Buffalo meat!
Dear Lord, we want to surrender our own will and put all our focus on You so that we are able to go where you have called us. Amen.
Usually we keep the Triad locked for Bulwark+ members but today it’s open for everyone. If you’ve been on the fence about joining, I hope you’ll hop down today. The next 15 months are going to be pretty important and we’re able to keep 90 percent of what we do free for everyone precisely because of the support of our members. Come ride with us, into the breach. Again.
On Friday, I was on The Bulwark pod with Charlie and we were discussing how to commemorate the latest image in our long, slow-rolling, not-yet-fully-satisfying vindication: the mug shot. So this weekend we threw up a few options on The Bulwark Store for y’all to peruse. Check ‘em out. Now, let me give you a little live, on-the-ground reporting from the bayou. I went so you didn’t have to.
(Images: Getty, Shutterstock. Art: Hannah Yoest.) Lafayette—On Friday Republican activists decked out in Let’s Geaux Brandon attire filed into a sleepy conference center connected to the CAJUNDOME as two projector screens aired Right Side Broadcasting News’ archival footage of a Donald Trump rally from back in the good ol’ days. Back when their cup ranneth over with the tears of triggered libs and all was right in their world. Back before their man was indicted, weighed, photographed, arraigned and forced to surrender to the custody of Fulton County Courthouse on orders of District Attorney Fani Wills. This was the annual gathering of the Louisiana GOP, titled “Victory 23: It’s Bigger Than All Of Us” though the vibes were less than victorious. It was just one day after the mugshot seen ‘round the world, but there were no signs that the legal troubles of their standard bearer weighed on their consciences.The congregants who made the trek to Lafayette for the sparsely attended confab had a lot of complaints—but none of them were directed at the man setting their beloved party on fire. They were unhappy about the direction of the state, their sitting Democratic governor, and their traitorous Republican senator. But most of all they were enraged at how the Department of Justice is treating their rightful president, Donald J. Trump. This stated bitterness was offset by another overriding theme of the day: their hope, their faith, and their desire to fight for the “soul of the nation.” to borrow a phrase. Speakers prayed for Louisiana. They prayed for humility. They prayed for rain. But mostly they prayed for resurrection. Share As the brass notes of “Fight for LSU” faded, the Leadership Institute’s Heather Sellers took the stage to scattered applause. She had come straight from the debate in Milwaukee and said to the crowd that while she knows who she thinks won the debate, she wanted to know “what y’all think.” There’s a short pause as the crowd determined their role in this impromptu call and response. I leaned forward in my chair excited to hear what names get shouted out. Vivek? Nikki? Dee-sanctus? A lone voice yelled TRUMP. And then a rolling chorus echoed TRUMP. TRUMP. TRUMP. Sellers responded, “I’d have to agree.” [Note for anyone in future generations uncovering this political time capsule for an AI-assisted college essay: Trump did not attend the debate in question.] And that pretty much captured the mood of the assemblage. During the afternoon I did not encounter a single item of clothing or flair representing a 2024 candidate other than Trump. There was JUSTICE FOR TRUMP gear, and MAGA hats, and Try That In A Small Town tees—but no sign of merch from any of the other presidential aspirants. It was as if there wasn’t even a presidential primary happening. I suppose that’s because,in this room, there really wasn’t. I moseyed up to a few early-20s staffers who were working the event, curious to see if maybe they had an alternative view from the blue-haired attendees and approved speakers. “Just curious, who are you guys supporting in the primary,” I asked The first guy replied, “well we are a Trump party.” The others nodded. “But if it wasn’t him I would like Vivek.” This was the basic sentiment from every person under the age of 30 that I talked to. (One young woman was also impressed with Nikki Haley.) But it was the caveat at the start of his answer that was the most telling. The matter-of-fact, unquestioned, quasi-religious acknowledgment of Trump. Whether directed or not, intentional or not, the people who work at the state Republican Party of Louisiana still identify themselves at some level as being on the Trump team. And despite all the former president’s legal troubles, that’s not irrational. The latest GOP primary poll in Louisiana has Trump ahead by an Assad-like 65 points.
What motivates you? It’s not what motivates me, it’s Who motivates me! God’s loving Words motivates me!
What has any one of us done for God, or given to God that he should have sent his Son, Jesus, to save us? We have done nothing to deserve salvation. We have done nothing to deserve any of the blessings we have been given. It is only through the unconditional love of God that any of this has been done. True, we can look around and see that others may be better looking or smarter, or healthier or wealthier than others. There will be those who seem to have more and we might feel cheated. But just as they did nothing to deserve what they have, we have done nothing to deserve what we have. God’s gifts are not based on whether or not we deserve what we have but the gifts we have been given fit into his plan for our benefit and the benefit of others. Many years ago there was a movie called “It’s A Wonderful Life.” In the movie the main character feels like he is a failure and that it would have been better if he had never been born. In the course of the movie, he learns about how his life has touched others in both major and minor ways. But each person he touched also influenced the lives of others. We don’t always see the effect our lives have on others, but God does. If we never existed, someone’s life would have been less for our not being there. The most important thing we have received is the gift of eternal life and none of us have done anything to deserve that. And so we pray as Paul did:
Jesus of Nazareth, the Greatest Story Ever Told. All movies about Jesus and the Bible.
On this day in 1893, writer and humorist Dorothy Parker was born in Long Branch, New Jersey. She gained national recognition for her wit and cutting voice as a critic, poet and screenwriter.
We Are Simply a Staff
Yael Eckstein | August 22, 2023Engraving by Gustave Dore (1832 – 1883)
“When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.” — Exodus 7:9
Miracles are central to both the Jewish and Christian faiths, and both biblical narratives are replete with miracles. Enjoy this collection of devotional teachings on the nature of God’s awe-inspiring signs and wonders.
Today, human beings can accomplish things previously unimaginable through science, technology, and medicine. We can cure deadly diseases, send man to the moon, turn the sun into energy, and print 3D objects.
On a more basic level, we buy our food from supermarkets, turn on lights with a flick of a switch, and get from one side of the world to another in a matter of hours. If man can make such miracles, what do we need God for?
While our abilities have certainly increased throughout history, this dangerous thought pattern has existed for thousands of years.
We Are Simply a Staff
The story of the Exodus from Egypt is full of God’s miracles. In God’s first show of power, He commanded Moses to tell Aaron to turn a staff into a snake. However, when Aaron carried out this act, Pharaoh called upon his magicians to do the exact same thing. In fact, according to Jewish tradition, any child in Egypt could perform the old “stick to snake trick.” With His infinite abilities, why didn’t God start with something more impressive?
The Jewish sages explain that this miracle was meant to send a poignant message about the power of man and God. In ancient Egypt, snakes were the main symbol of royalty and deity. After Pharaoh’s magicians replicated this miracle, Aaron’s snake swallowed up Pharaoh’s snakes, showing that while Pharaoh’s tricks may seem impressive, only the acts of God will last forever.
At the end of the story, Aaron’s snake turns back into a staff, this time sending a message to the children of Israel. Man is not God; we are simply a staff—a tool in His hand. No matter how impressive today’s achievements may appear, we cannot be fooled by modern magic. We have only been able to create such incredible miracles because God endowed us with wisdom and enabled our success.
Your Turn:
The next time you enjoy a modern miracle or experience success, remember to thank God, the One True Miracle-Maker.
revolutions felled and founded new cultures and governments, while world wars raged, and even now into the present age, Christianity has stood strong, lovingly maintaining the doctrines laid out 2,000 years ago by a Carpenter from Nazareth, Who was also told, “Delete it,” in the parlance of the day, and lost far more than just His job.
Just as American patriots once agreed on what liberty is while sitting around their drinks in pubs, just as they once proclaimed what they knew to be true in the pages of their newspapers and gazettes, just as they once shouted their common beliefs in the streets, so too have today’s American patriots, speaking in today’s town square, agreed that conservatives must not condemn or denigrate Christianity but embrace it.
Hopefully, today’s patriots will continue following in the footsteps of their forefathers and will not be content with pub-table conversations, printed words, and marching in the streets, but will speak at the ballot box too and elect representatives who respect and even share their beliefs, the beliefs that this nation was built upon.
What do you enjoy most about writing? VERSE OF THE WEEK “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” Romans 13:14
ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE It can be easy to become anxious over things that seem out of control. Scripture reminds us that Jesus will be with his followers in scary and uncertain times and all the way into eternity.
“Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff — they comfort me.” Psalms 23:4 (CSB)
Verse to consider when old enemies show signs of becoming friends… “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9
CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE Disastrous weather is a stark reminder that sin broke all of creation, not just humankind. In the face of chaos and fear, share your hope in the God who will make his entire creation new again.
“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered… the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.” Isaiah 65:17, 19
Continuing Present Tense Life
1 John 1:7 (NIV®) If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
I’ll admit I wasn’t completely engaged when my English teachers talked about verb tenses. I was more interested by the time I was older and got to study Greek, and I learned the verbs in this passage are continuing present tense. A literal reading says something like this: If we continually walk, we continually have fellowship, and Jesus’ blood continually cleanses us. That brings something to light that is not apparent at first: The promise of cleansing is conditional upon walking in the light and fellowshipping with one another. This is one of the many times where Scripture says we actually need to interact with one another in order to reach spiritual maturity. The purpose of Christian fellowship and friendships is not to fool everyone into thinking we’ve got it all together. Their purpose is to remind us of the power of God that is available to deliver us, to cleanse us, and to give us the encouragement we need to face the challenges of today.
THINK ABOUT IT Christian fellowship helps us keep our eyes on God and builds unity. As we pray, worship, and praise, we grow in Christ.
PRAYER Heavenly Father, help me consistently walk in the light of Your truth and in fellowship with those who are Yours. Thank You for the blood of Jesus that continually cleanses me, for Your protection, and for Your continual deliverance. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Can you have both fear and love? 1 John 4:18 observes, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” Yet in Philippians 2, Paul urges his readers to work out their salvation “in fear and trembling.” What is the difference between these two kinds of fear?The difference is the fear of punishment. Paul does not urge the Philippians to work out their salvation for fear of losing it if they fail to perform well. Neither was Paul urging them to work for their salvation. He assures them, in verse 13, that God was already working in them “to will and to act.” Instead, he is talking about a salvation they have already begun to experience. New Testament scholar H. C. G. Moule describes this sort of fear as “a reverent and wakeful conscience in his holy presence.”To help them with this, Paul hoped to send his protégé Timothy soon to take stock of the situation and bring back a report (vv. 19 23). For now, he was sending them Epaphroditus who had been their connection to Paul. Epaphroditus was probably sent by the church with funds to help Paul’s ministry and to assist in other ways. In verse 25, the apostle calls him a messenger or minister sent to care for Paul’s needs. Paul also calls him a brother, co- worker, and fellow soldier.Working out our salvation is the process God uses to help us fully grasp the reality of a salvation that Jesus Christ has already accomplished for us. God works from within and sends His servants to help us as they work from the outside.>> The wrong kind of fear can be as crippling to spiritual growth as complacency. Don’t freeze up in fear. Instead, draw near to God with a reverent awareness of His presence.
Intend to Grow Today
James 4:13-14 (NLT®) Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.
How many times have you thought about what you will do for God when the next season of life comes along? Less time at the lake, more time at church. Less money on fun, more on Kingdom endeavors. It’s easy to assume we will have a tomorrow when we can do better than we intend to do today, but none of us has been promised that tomorrow. I don’t want to sound grim, but I do think it’s a good idea to live as if tomorrow is not guaranteed. I’m not saying you should live like you’re in a movie where you must finish your to-do list in one day, but I do want you to think about the state of your relationship with Jesus. If you need to make any changes, don’t wait—make them today.
THINK ABOUT IT Every day you are alive is another chance to become a more fully devoted follower of Jesus of Nazareth. Do not procrastinate. Following Jesus is the greatest and most rewarding path you can take in life.
PRAYER Heavenly Father, thank You that “tomorrow” rests in Your watchful care as You are preparing me for an eternity in Your presence. Holy Spirit, help me cooperate with You now to invest every moment I have in God’s Kingdom purposes, laying aside anything that hinders that assignment. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Fight for Hope Psalm 137:3-6 (NIV®) Our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land? If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.
This was written after the Babylonians had destroyed Jerusalem and taken the Hebrews captive. God’s people had watched as the invaders tore down the walls, slaughtered people in the streets, and destroyed the Temple. All they had known was gone, and now, they were living in Babylon—in the first Jewish ghetto. Can you imagine their despair? But I hear something beautiful in the psalm. I hear them fighting for hope. It seemed like their circumstances were about to overwhelm them and wash them away. Yet, they pleaded with the Lord to help them remember. When you feel like you have been taken captive by your circumstances, do as they did, and fight for hope. Remember what God has done for you in the past, and then, trust Him with your future.
THINK ABOUT IT Your problems may be physical, financial, emotional, or spiritual—but remember, God sees you and cares. Put your faith, trust, and hope in Him.
PRAYER Heavenly Father, thank You for all You have done for me. Your grace and mercy, through the cross, have delivered me from all my sins and given me a living hope. No matter my circumstance, I rejoice in the kindness and love You have poured upon my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.
How do you plan your goals? O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me. Psalm 30:2
I ask God everyday to guide my steps!
God revealed Himself to His people Israel by a series of covenant names, one of which was Jehovah Rophe—“the Lord who heals.” Having redeemed His people from Egypt, God told them if they would walk in His statutes they would be spared from the diseases He brought on the Egyptians—“For I am the Lord who heals you” (Exodus 15:26).
Psalm 41:1-3 (nkjv) THE BLESSING AND SUFFERING OF THE GODLY To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. 41 Blessed is he who considers the poor; The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. 2 The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, And he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. 3 The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed.
Conversely, if Israel failed to walk in obedience to God, they would suffer the diseases of Egypt and more (Deuteronomy 28:60-61). Part of the covenant expectations that Israel had of God was that He would forgive all their sins and heal all their diseases (Psalm 103:2-3). The coming Messiah would be “bruised for our iniquities” and we would be “healed” by His “stripes” (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24). Healing, or salvation, was considered to be inclusive of both body and soul. So it is no surprise that we find the psalmist David praying for healing in Psalm 30. And it should likewise be no surprise that God answered his prayer (verse 2).
From your head to your toes, if you are in need of wholeness and good health, ask the Lord who heals you.
Any sinner may be healed if he will only come to Christ.
Jeremiah 44:1 – 46:28 (nkjv) ISRAELITES WILL BE PUNISHED IN EGYPT 44 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who dwell in the land of Egypt, who dwell at Migdol, at Tahpanhes, at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘You have seen all the calamity that I have brought on Jerusalem and on all the cities of Judah; and behold, this day they are a desolation, and no one dwells in them, 3 because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke Me to anger, in that they went to burn incense and to serve other gods whom they did not know, they nor you nor your fathers. 4 However I have sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, “Oh, do not do this abominable thing that I hate!” 5 But they did not listen or incline their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense to other gods. 6 So My fury and My anger were poured out and kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as it is this day.’
7 “Now therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves, to cut off from you man and woman, child and infant, out of Judah, leaving none to remain, 8 in that you provoke Me to wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have gone to dwell, that you may cut yourselves off and be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? 9 Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, the wickedness of their wives, your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 10 They have not been humbled, to this day, nor have they feared; they have not walked in My law or in My statutes that I set before you and your fathers.’
Jeremiah 44:1 – 46:28 (nkjv) 11 “Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will set My face against you for catastrophe and for cutting off all Judah. 12 And I will take the remnant of Judah who have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to dwell there, and they shall all be consumed and fall in the land of Egypt. They shall be consumed by the sword and by famine. They shall die, from the least to the greatest, by the sword and by famine; and they shall be an oath, an astonishment, a curse and a reproach! 13 For I will punish those who dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, 14 so that none of the remnant of Judah who have gone into the land of Egypt to dwell there shall escape or survive, lest they return to the land of Judah, to which they desire to return and dwell. For none shall return except those who escape.’”
15 Then all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to other gods, with all the women who stood by, a great multitude, and all the people who dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying: 16 “As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to you! 17 But we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, were well-off, and saw no trouble. 18 But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine.”
19 The women also said, “And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make cakes for her, to worship her, and pour out drink offerings to her without our husbands’ permission?”
20 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the people—the men, the women, and all the people who had given him that answer—saying:
21 “The incense that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the Lord remember them, and did it not come into His mind? 22 So the Lord could no longer bear it, because of the evil of your doings and because of the abominations which you committed. Therefore your land is a desolation, an astonishment, a curse, and without an inhabitant, as it is this day. 23 Because you have burned incense and because you have sinned against the Lord, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord or walked in His law, in His statutes or in His testimonies, therefore this calamity has happened to you, as at this day.” 24 Moreover Jeremiah said to all the people and to all the women, “Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are in the land of Egypt! 25 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘You and your wives have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands, saying, “We will surely keep our vows that we have made, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” You will surely keep your vows and perform your vows!’ 26 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: ‘Behold, I have sworn by My great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that My name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “The Lord God lives.” 27 Behold, I will watch over them for adversity and not for good. And all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an end to them. 28 Yet a small number who escape the sword shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah; and all the remnant of Judah, who have gone to the land of Egypt to dwell there, shall know whose words will stand, Mine or theirs. 29 And this shall be a sign to you,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will punish you in this place, that you may know that My words will surely stand against you for adversity.’
30 “Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of those who seek his life, as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, his enemy who sought his life.’”
ASSURANCE TO BARUCH 45 The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the instruction of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: 3 ‘You said, “Woe is me now! For the Lord has added grief to my sorrow. I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.”’
4 “Thus you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, what I have built I will break down, and what I have planted I will pluck up, that is, this whole land.
5 And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh,” says the Lord. “But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go.”’” JUDGMENT ON EGYPT 46 The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the nations. 2 Against Egypt.
Concerning the army of Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, which was by the River Euphrates in Carchemish, and which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:
3 “Order the buckler and shield, And draw near to battle! 4 Harness the horses, And mount up, you horsemen! Stand forth with your helmets, Polish the spears, Put on the armor! 5 Why have I seen them dismayed and turned back? Their mighty ones are beaten down; They have speedily fled, And did not look back, For fear was all around,” says the Lord.
6 “Do not let the swift flee away,Nor the mighty man escape;They will stumble and fallToward the north, by the River Euphrates. 7 “Who is this coming up like a flood, Whose waters move like the rivers? 8 Egypt rises up like a flood, And its waters move like the rivers; And he says, ‘I will go up and cover the earth, I will destroy the city and its inhabitants.’ 9 Come up, O horses, and rage, O chariots! And let the mighty men come forth: The Ethiopians and the Libyans who handle the shield, And the Lydians who handle and bend the bow. 10 For this is the day of the Lord God of hosts, A day of vengeance, That He may avenge Himself on His adversaries. The sword shall devour; It shall be satiated and made drunk with their blood; For the Lord God of hosts has a sacrifice In the north country by the River Euphrates.
11 “Go up to Gilead and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt; In vain you will use many medicines; You shall not be cured. 12 The nations have heard of your shame, And your cry has filled the land; For the mighty man has stumbled against the mighty; They both have fallen together.”
BABYLONIA WILL STRIKE EGYPT 13 The word that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon would come and strike the land of Egypt.
14 “Declare in Egypt, and proclaim in Migdol; Proclaim in Noph and in Tahpanhes; Say, ‘Stand fast and prepare yourselves, For the sword devours all around you.’ 15 Why are your valiant men swept away? They did not stand Because the Lord drove them away.
Create an emergency preparedness plan. Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.”
On this day in 1978, a hot air balloon landed in Miserey, France, about 137 hours after taking off from Presque Isle, Maine. The Double Eagle II was the first balloon to cross the Atlantic Ocean, piloted by Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson and Larry Newman.
Did you know that prayer is how God often opens doors for sharing the gospel?
Serving with Navigators Nations Within, Alex and his wife, Mary, saw God create opportunities to share the gospel with their Seattle neighbors through the power of prayer.
They knew these neighbors previously from living overseas in Asia, but now had a greater opportunity to invite them to follow Jesus.
Be inspired by their story to “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him” Psalm 37:7 (NIV). Then watch for the opportunities and connections He creates.
Tenacious Faith
1 Peter 2:9 (NIV®) You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Our generation has witnessed a steep decline of Christian influence on the culture. I believe that is because we have been content to call ourselves Christians while we display a polite, compliant faith. Not long ago, we routinely prayed publicly in Jesus’ name. The Ten Commandments were displayed in public buildings. Honesty and purity were highly regarded and encouraged. We let those things go without much complaint, and now, our society has difficulty deciding who is a man or a woman! The spiritual complacency we have settled into is not sufficient to address the challenges we are facing. We need to realize what it means to be God’s chosen people. Like Peter, we need to be willing to publicly declare that His way is the best way. We need to come to terms with what it means to have a living and active faith that makes a real difference in our own lives and the lives of others.
THINK ABOUT IT Does your faith make a real difference in your life and the lives of others? Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with a new kind of faith—a tenacious faith that will empower you to be a more effective ambassador for God’s Kingdom.
PRAYER Heavenly Father, I am Your child, Jesus is my Lord, and the Holy Spirit is my Helper. You have designed me to make a difference for Your Kingdom. I choose Your path with my entire being. Grant me the determination to complete the course You have chosen. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Dear Delana,
Please join us in praying for the people in Maui who have lost so much in the recent fires, and for those who are doing their best to help them recover. Let’s pray for God’s supernatural comfort, courage, and strength, and for stories of His faithfulness to emerge from the tragic circumstances.
While we’re praying, let’s also ask for God’s mercy on our cities. They are in disarray far beyond what’s being reported, and we need His help!
Let’s pray:The corporate prayers of God’s people make a difference. When God’s people care enough to join together and invest their time, energy, and effort in prayer, it has a unique impact in Heaven.
What’s the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten? God’s Holy Word!
Remember, with a movement as large and dedicated as ours, it’s not about the amount our supporters give, but the sheer number of grassroots patriots who step up when it matters most.
For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Revelations 7:17
Weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5) God’s children may have sorrow and tribulation in this world for what, in the light of eternity, will be but a brief moment, but they will find everlasting joy. Heaven will be a place without tears.
O Comforter of our souls, you are he who will wipe away all tears from our eyes. We may weep here for lost loved ones, but we will meet them again if they died in Christ. We may weep now for pain and misery that come upon us, but it will all pass away. We may feel sorrow for a host of things on earth, but in Heaven, we will find only joy. O prepare us for that place and let our eternal hope make present troubles easier to bear. Amen.
What brings you peace? Who brings me peace? God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit! We reverently reflect on Your work through us, convicting and refining us, and on Your presence in and around us. We rest in Your promise to bring Your work in us to completion. Our salvation is won, our sanctification is on going.
“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.”
Ephesians 4:26-27
Ephesians 4:26-27 offers revelation on an important and often unknown spiritual principle. Scripture says, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” When we allow anger to fester within us for days, weeks, months, and sometimes years, we allow the enemy to gain a foothold in our lives that robs us of the abundant life provided in Christ. In Ephesians, Paul is clear that anger in itself is not a sin; it’s when we allow anger to remain instead of choosing grace and forgiveness that we break God’s command.
When people wrong us the natural response is to be angry, and that is all right! Jesus himself was often angry. Matthew 21:12 tells us, “And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.” Jesus was consistently angry with those who claimed to know God and took advantage of others. Nothing made him more angry than pharisaical people. But Jesus also modeled forgiveness of the highest form. Rather than being filled with anger and allowing it to fester inside of him, he offered his life out of his love for the very people who shouted, “Crucify him!” and “Free Barabbas!”
The truth is that our anger is often a symptom of our brokenness rather than the result of the wrongs of others. Often, anger is rooted in our own insecurities and pride rather than a righteous anger for justice. It’s for this reason the Bible tells us over and over again to be slow to anger. James 1:19-20 says, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”Proverbs 19:11 says, “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” And Proverbs 29:11 says, “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.”
The Lord desires to make us a people filled with his grace and compassion over our own anger and prideful sense of justice. God, who was deserving of everything, gave it all up to show us grace. Jesus is the rightful King of kings and Lord of lords. But rather than claiming what was rightfully his own, he humbled himself before a Roman prefect and a rebellious people and gave up his own life. And now he asks you to do the same. Jesus is asking you to lay down your rights and pride to pursue a higher calling of unconditional love. He’s asking you to show grace where none is deserved. He’s asking you to offer mercy where there should rightfully be none. And he’s asking you to forgive others so that heaven might come to earth through your actions. Commit to living a lifestyle of continual forgiveness today, and allow God to work through you to bring salvation and restored relationship to a world in desperate need of a Savior.
1. Meditate on God’s command to live a lifestyle of continual forgiveness. Allow his word to fill you with a desire to be slow to anger and quick to forgive and offer grace.
“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.”Ephesians 4:26-27
“Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”Proverbs 16:32
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”Ephesians 4:32
2. Who do you need to offer forgiveness to today? What anger have you allowed to fester in your heart?
3. Forgive that person or those people in your heart right now. Offer grace to them in your heart that you might receive healing in the place of bitterness.
“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”James 1:19-20
“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”Mark 11:25
Forgiven
1 Peter 2:23 says, “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” May we become like Jesus and offer grace and forgiveness to others who are undeserving. May we be reflections of his love by being slow to anger and quick to offer mercy. May his light shine through us today into a world wrought with darkness and pain.
We have created our VERY FIRST devotional for kids called My Time With God! A 20-day devotional helping kids lay a foundation for connecting with the God who loves them every day.
My Time With God is based on our printed devotional, Foundations, which is intended to help you and your kids break down barriers to spending time alone with God and experiencing God’s presence.
We pray this resource helps grow the faith of many children.
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
1 Peter 2:24 All of us have experienced trial and pain. All of us are living life wounded and scarred. We learn to deal with our wounds and press forward, but whether we acknowledge it or not, wounds and scars change us. There are no perfect parents. There are no perfect friends. There are no perfect siblings or spouses. We live in an imperfect world with imperfect humans. We lash out and hurt others because we are broken and in need of healing.
One of the most critical spiritual exercises we can undergo is allowing God to heal our past wounds and guide us to a lifestyle of forgiving present scars. Without healing and forgiveness, other people’s mistakes will affect our future. Without the inner working of the Holy Spirit, we will live in continual suffering from the sins of others.
Our God is a God of healing. Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”Psalm 103:2-4 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.”1 Peter 2:24 says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” Your heavenly Father longs to speak to the wounded places in your life and heal them with his love.
What past experience, trial, hurtful word, or person is still harmfully affecting your life today? Where do you need the Holy Spirit to come and speak healing over you? Where do you need to cry out to God in anger or frustration over a wound? Opening the wounded places of our hearts is an emotional and difficult process, but until we allow God into the harmful events of our pasts we will never experience true freedom and restoration from them. Until we allow ourselves space to deal with what for some have been harmful and defining moments, we will never experience the entirety of the abundant life available to us.
And as the Lord begins to heal our wounds, we must allow him to guide us to a lifestyle of forgiveness for our present scars. We must forgive those people who hurt us so the scars in our lives become symbols of God’s redeeming love rather than reminders of painful events. James 2:13 says, “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” Show mercy to those who are undeserving of it just as your heavenly Father has shown you mercy. Love your enemies as Jesus did so that you can experience triumph instead of pain, freedom instead of enslavement to negativity, and joy instead of anger. May your heavenly Father be allowed to love you, hold you, and care for the places in your heart that need his healing touch the most.
1. Meditate on God’s desire to heal your wounds. Allow Scripture to fill you with courage to open your heart to the Spirit, and let him provide healing today.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”Psalm 147:3
“But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.”Isaiah 53:5
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”Matthew 11:28
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what he wants to heal today. What wound is affecting your life? Where do you need God to speak his truth and love over you?
3. Open your heart to the Lord and ask him to speak truth and love to your wound. Ask the Holy Spirit to heal your wounds in whatever way he desires. Trust and follow his leadership.
“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”Zephaniah 3:17
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.”Psalm 103:2-4
Receiving healing for wounds and the courage to forgive present scars is a constant process. There will always be more for the Lord to heal. There will always be new wounds the Lord wants to speak to. If you will allow the Lord to faithfully love and heal your wounds, you will experience abundant life to greater depths than you thought possible. May you be filled with newfound courage and freedom today in response to the overwhelming love and power of your heavenly Father.
What countries do you want to visit? Where ever God is! Jerusalem!
Jesus knew that the apostles would be persecuted for proclaiming the Kingdom of God and was warning them. It is also a warning for us. The apostles would proclaim the message risking death and were often persecuted, jailed, beaten and, except for the apostle John who died a natural death, were eventually killed. For two more centuries, the early Christians faced the same torture and death at the hands of the Romans. Most of us do not face the same dangers but the world is still not happy when we work to bring the Kingdom and its ideals to life today. I know that this is something we have talked about before and will talk about again, but Jesus wanted the apostles and disciples to be reminded more than once what the consequences were for those who believe, and we still need those reminders. Satan, Beelzebub, the devil, whatever we choose to call him is still active in the world. It can be so hard to recognize him! We face him in so many situations at work, at home, with our friends. Children and teenagers aren’t the only ones who are affected by peer pressure. Drugs, both legal and illegal are seen as the solution to pain. Drinking and driving is rampant. Road rage happens over something as simple as someone being cut off. Families are under stress, so violence becomes the solution. Workers can be encouraged to cheat their employers or their customers. “Everyone is doing it,” is a catch-phrase for giving in to temptation. To encourage doing the right thing is looked upon as not “being with it.” We can actually be punished or ostracized for living the Christian way of life. And so we still need to hear this message. Beware of those who can destroy the soul.
I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them. Hosea 11:4
Where the Lord leads us, He leads us with kindness. He does not burden us with the chains of slavery or the yoke of beasts. Instead, He binds us with love, cherishing us as His beloved creation, caring for our needs as we proceed through this life with Him. It may seem uncomfortable when He leads us away from the familiar, but we can be sure that where He leads us is good, and that He remains with us.
Lord, in my weakness I sometimes year for the things that I’ve left behind, and the life that You rescued me from. It is easy to forget how heavy the chains of bondage once were. Help me Lord, to take comfort in Your bonds of love, and to not forget that it is You who gives me comfort on our journey together. In Jesus’ name, amen.
What’s your favorite thing about yourself? I am not Ashamed of Jesus
June is designated as “Pride Month,” which is allegedly about inclusion and diversity, but the Pride Police don’t actually believe in that. There is no diversity of opinions on LGBTQ issues. It’s “My Way” or the Bigot Highway. They say Pride Month is about visibility, but there shall be no visibility for any resistance. Their mentality: agree, or vanish.
In Grand Rapids, Michigan, “scandal” erupted when a news manager at WOOD-TV wrote a memo to staff to remember that there were two differing views on Pride events in the community. Quickly, the station’s owner – Nexstar, the largest owner of TV stations in America – apologized for and insisted this both-sides memo was “not consistent with Nexstar’s values, the way we cover the news, or the respect we have for our viewers.”
There shall be only one side of these issues. That shows “respect” for….some members of the community. The rest should be ignored. Media corporations are at the head of the pack of “woke” corporations. The idea they are neutral moderators of any community’s affairs is ridiculous.
One of the primary enforcers of the LGBTQ Speech Code is GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation…but the D really stands for Debate, or Democracy.
In a badly disguised press release from the Associated Press, GLAAD released what they call a “Safety Index” on the social-media giants. The headline was “Twitter is the worst major social media platform when it comes to LGBTQ+ safety, says GLAAD.” There is not a single opposing view in this story, just the way GLAAD likes it.
AP reporter/publicist Barbara Ortutay tweeted out the main point from Sarah Kate Ellis, the GLAAD CEO: “Twitter is largely a cesspool now. You can’t post without getting attacked. There’s no room for conversation. It is just about hand-to-hand combat.” Ellis also said it’s like “backyard dogfights.”
Cesspool” is a code word for “not censored enough.” Sarah Kate Ellis is not interested in “conversation,” only conversion. GLAAD’s publicly stated goal is “accelerating acceptance,” and they prefer accelerating it by squashing all contrary opinions.
Ortutay explained away the opposing view this way: “Twitter‘s communications staff was eradicated after Musk took over the company and for months inquiries to the press office have been answered only with an automated reply of a poop emoji, as was the case when The Associated Press reached out to the company for comment.” No one else in America could offer a contrary opinion?
GLAAD is mad because Elon Musk took over and dissolved Twitter’s “trust and safety council” where GLAAD wielded power. Ellis complained on MSNBC on June 17: “Elon Musk has turned Twitter into a weapon against the LGBTQ community. He leads the charge.” Libertine leftists were furious that Musk would promote a tweet “falsely equating gender-affirming care to the ‘mutilation’ of children.”
Overall, Twitter failed to employ “safety precautions” like punishing users for “misgendering” trans activists or – gasp – using non-preferred pronouns.
As NBC reporter/publicist David Ingram explained in a Twitter story, “using pronouns other than what someone prefers is a common way to bully trans people.” It’s “bullying” to refuse to use “ze/zir” or whatever today’s fashion is.
The censors at GLAAD are in the business of bullying, starting with the usual method that these verbal slights spur suicide attempts. Since Twitter is failing to enforce GLAAD’s standards, they are demanding the government get involved in some heavy-handed content moderation. When the private “safety” enforcers can’t censor people, it’s time for federal intervention.
Bible Verses About Homosexuality Genesis 19:1-11 That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground. “My lords,” he said, “come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may then get up early in the morning and be on your way again.” “Oh no,” they replied. “We’ll just spend the night out here in the city square.” But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. Lot prepared a feast for them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast, and they ate. But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!” So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him. “Please, my brothers,” he begged, “don’t do such a wicked thing. Look, I have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them as you wish. But please, leave these men alone, for they are my guests and are under my protection.” “Stand back!” they shouted. “This fellow came to town as an outsider, and now he’s acting like our judge! We’ll treat you far worse than those other men!” And they lunged toward Lot to break down the door. But the two angels reached out, pulled Lot into the house, and bolted the door. Then they blinded all the men, young and old, who were at the door of the house, so they gave up trying to get inside. Leviticus 18:22 “Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.” (NLT) Leviticus 20:13 “If a man practices homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman, both men have committed a detestable act. They must both be put to death, for they are guilty of a capital offense.” (NLT) Judges 19:16-24 That evening an old man came home from his work in the fields. He was from the hill country of Ephraim, but he was living in Gibeah, where the people were from the tribe of Benjamin. When he saw the travelers sitting in the town square, he asked them where they were from and where they were going. “We have been in Bethlehem in Judah,” the man replied. “We are on our way to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim, which is my home. I traveled to Bethlehem, and now I’m returning home. But no one has taken us in for the night, even though we have everything we need. We have straw and feed for our donkeys and plenty of bread and wine for ourselves.” “You are welcome to stay with me,” the old man said. “I will give you anything you might need. But whatever you do, don’t spend the night in the square.” So he took them home with him and fed the donkeys. After they washed their feet, they ate and drank together. While they were enjoying themselves, a crowd of troublemakers from the town surrounded the house. They began beating at the door and shouting to the old man, “Bring out the man who is staying with you so we can have sex with him.” The old man stepped outside to talk to them. “No, my brothers, don’t do such an evil thing. For this man is a guest in my house, and such a thing would be shameful. Here, take my virgin daughter and this man’s concubine. I will bring them out to you, and you can abuse them and do whatever you like. But don’t do such a shameful thing to this man.” 1 Kings 14:24 And there were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations that the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. 1 Kings 15:12 He put away the male cult prostitutes out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 2 Kings 23:7 He also tore down the living quarters of the male and female shrine prostitutes that were inside the Temple of the LORD, where the women wove coverings for the Asherah pole. Romans 1:18-32 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness…. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people- none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Timothy 1:8-10 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine …. Jude 7 And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment.
God’s Words are forever and are the law! Christ said He came to fulfill the law. He did not come to erase the law. We are obey God’s Word no matter what! We are obey all of the Word we don’t get pick an chose what to obey! We don’t know whose going to stay in heaven and whose going to hell. We have been judged by God.
This post contains one of humanity’s greatest treasures. No one can deny that the Bible has profoundly affected civilization. It has true epic stories with life-changing power. That only comes from Lord God Almighty. The images have left their imprint on human history, especially in cultures touched by Judaism and Christianity. The American Constitution was writing from this belief.
This is an interesting story from the first Book of Kings, and will continue tomorrow. Ahab is the king of Israel and he wants a neighboring vineyard that the owner doesn’t want to sell. He goes home and tells his wife, Jezebel, that he is too sad and angry to even eat. She devises a plan to get Naboth killed, and this passage is the result. Do you ever wonder why passages such as these are included in Scripture? I know I do. Are they included as warnings, or are they there to let us know that history of Israel was not without its scandalous behavior? We are aware that Jezebel was a wicked woman. She plotted the death of Elijah – even though she didn’t succeed – but she was successful in getting Naboth killed. She got people to lie about him, claiming that he had cursed God and the king, and they stoned him to death as punishment for his crime. There were other kings and queens of Israel who sinned and led others to sin. And there were good kings and queens as well. But we need to remember that we can be seduced by leaders who make us believe that what we are doing is the right thing. This happened in Germany during the Holocaust; it has happened in Northern Ireland, in the Middle East, in South America. It can happen anywhere! We need to be watchful and not be led astray just because someone is in a position of authority.
Are you patriotic? What does being patriotic mean to you?
Yes! Being a Christian Patriotic woman, means being born free in the country in the world built on Judeo-Christian principles and not being killed for those principles.
Are you patriotic? What does being patriotic mean to you?
Yes! Being a Christian Patriotic woman, in the United States of means being born free in this country. in a country that I am not being killed for for my beliefs. I live in a country built on Judeo-Christian principles and not being killed for those principles.
From time to time I like to offer particular saints as sources of inspiration and models of virtue. And since this is the Feast of St. Scholastica, I just can’t pass up the opportunity to take a peek at her story today. After all, she’s St. Benedict’s beloved twin sister, and at Belmont Abbey College, she has a special place in our Benedictine hearts.
The founder of an order of nuns based a few miles from her brother’s monastery in Monte Casino, Scholastica spearheaded the women’s Benedictine movement alongside Benedict’s masculine order. In fact, my favorite story about St. Scholastica hinges on her proximity to Benedict, in more ways than one.
Once a year, the twins would meet to spend a day at a farmhouse between their communities, where they prayed, discussed spiritual matters and shared what amounted to an annual retreat. It was a blessing to which they always looked forward, a period of refreshment and fellowship.
On what would be their final meeting before her death, Scholastica asked Benedict to stay and continue their prayer and reflection through the night. But her brother refused, reminding her that this contravened the rule of his order, by which monks weren’t permitted to spend nights outside the monastery.
I like to imagine the scene that followed: Scholastica bowing her head and folding her hands quietly, as Benedict walks to the door and stops, stares out at the sudden storm, which is rapidly gathering in what had been, up to then, an immaculate sky. Turning back to his sister with consternation, he demands, “What have you done?” But she looks up and smiles, shrugging that “I asked for something and you refused, so I asked God and he granted it.”
I always enjoy the gutsy mixture of trust and love in that story – and the tenderness and sense of humor in her relationship, not only with Benedict – with whom she models the kind of Platonic friendship that embraces a shared journey toward the Good – but also with God. She asks without presuming, and the response she receives is a seamless expression of merciful love, through which she enjoys a few more hours of Benedict’s prayerful companionship before their earthly separation. St. Scholastica reminds me that God is playful and kind, and that when He seems to be thwarting my intentions – as Benedict may have felt, looking out at the storm – He’s actually offering a different gift.
St. Scholastica, pray for us!
That in all things God may be glorified,
In this section of Isaiah, the Israelites have returned from exile in Babylonia. The prophet is charged with raising up those who had been dispersed as well as those who had been allowed to return. But his mission was not to end there, he was to stand as a “light to the nations” to show God’s goodness and power. Jesus tells us in the gospel that we too must be lights to the nations. How is this to be done? It begins in our homes where we witness the love of God to our families. If our family members cannot see Christ’s love in us, who will see it? I am not talking about a piety that makes others uncomfortable, but a sincere faith that shines forth in good times and bad and reaches out to those in need. It doesn’t mean that we need to talk about our beliefs to everyone we meet either. St. Francis of Assisi is quoted as saying, “Preach always, and if necessary, use words.” Although he would probably be the first to question that he said it, he would certainly agree with it in principle. When asked why they became a Christian, most people answer that they wanted the qualities that they saw in other Christians. They have met Jesus in the words and actions of others. They see the difference in the way these Christians treat other people. They meet love in person and then they meet the God who inspires it. They see their “light.” Jesus tells us not to hide our light under a bushel, but to stand proud in our faith. Are we up to the challenge to let others see our light? Sometimes we make God’s word more difficult than it needs to be. God wants us to understand His Word, so He makes the most important things easy to reach. Forgiveness. Grace. Hope. Love. Righteousness. With every reading, He reminds us that these things are on our hearts, ready for us to use at all times and in all places. Thank you, Lord, for Your word. Thank you for revealing the truth of Your holiness. Help me to hold close to Your word just as You hold close to me, so that I may live in obedience. If I stray from Your path, use Your word to bring me near to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Heavenly Father, we come before You today as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to You, as these are our spiritual acts of worship. We give You our full attention, hearts, spirits, and minds, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
The day of Pentecost is 50 days after Easter. On this day, the Holy Spirit descended upon the 120 disciples in the upper room in Jerusalem. The sound of a strong wind came from heaven and individual tongues of fire rested upon the heads of everyone one of them, and they spoke in foreign languages or tongues.
Acts 2:5-13
5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under the sky. 6 When this sound was heard, the multitude came together and were bewildered, because everyone heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Behold, aren’t all these who speak Galileans? 8 How do we hear, everyone in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabians: we hear them speaking in our languages the mighty works of God!” 12 They were all amazed, and were perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 Others, mocking, said, “They are filled with new wine.”
Acts 2:5-13
Commentary
Following the command of the Lord, 120 Jewish disciples from Jerusalem and all regions of the first-century world assembled in the upper room to awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit came, they were amazed, astonished, and shocked. The heard everyone speaking in other people’s languages. They could not understand what was happening. Onlookers and scoffers accused them to be drunk with wine.
Peter silenced the crowd saying that nobody was drunk as it was only 9 am in the morning. Peter quoted Joel 2:28. Joel had prophesied this day when the Holy Spirit will be poured out on the people so that young men will prophesy and old man will dream dreams.
Peter preached his first evangelistic sermon with and boldness and power, The Holy Spirit transformed Peter from a timid fisherman into a fearless evangelist and leader of the apostles.
The Jews who listened were convicted by Peter’s sermon. They asked Peter what must they do to be saved. Peter told them to repent of their sins, be baptised in the name of Jesus. and called on the name of the Lord for salvation.
As many as 3000 Jews believed in Jesus and were baptised on that day! They received the apostle’s teaching, fellowshipped, broke bread, and prayed.
This was how the first-century Christian church of Acts was born in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. The believers sold all their possessions and gave the proceeds to the apostles. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, the church grew rapidly.
It will happen afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions
Joel 3:28
Application
When the Holy Spirit descended on the believers, they spoke in tongues and prophesy. Speaking in tongue on Pentecost was speaking in known languages. Can you imagine a Chinese speaking in Arabic, a German speaking in French, or Japanese speaking in Dutch and so on? This was what happened. People were able to speak in foreign languages spontaneously and fluently.
Paul described speaking in tongues as one of the spiritual gifts in the book of 1 Corinthians 12 and 13. The tongues described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12 and 13 may not be the same as in the tongues described in Acts 2.
At conversion, the Holy Spirit indwell a person and imparts spiritual gifts on him/her. Speaking in tongues and prophesy are two of the gifs of the Holy Spirit. There are seven spiritual gifts, wisdom, knowledge, healing, miracles, prophesy, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues, 1 Corinthians 12:8-10.
8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues
1 Corinthians 12:8-10
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You once again for speaking to us Thank You for the day of Pentecost when You gave the Holy Spirit to the Jewish disciples in the upper room in Jerusalem. Thank You for this historic moment when the first Christian church of Acts was born, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Rare Coins Found In A Dead Sea Cave Offer First Solid Evidence For The Maccabean Revolt 2,200 Years Ago – Ancient Pages https://flip.it/HveGDS
Pray first than read the only True Word you can trust, and obey His Word by asking Jesus for help and He will help anyone who asks because He said so! Are you feeling discontented in a particular area of your life? Ask God to help you to learn to be content as we develop a healthy change in behavior. According to His will for you in your life.
January 13th, 2023: Learning to be Content Right Where God wants us to be! Philippians 4:11 – I have learned to be content whatever the cirumstances. Words from Paul. Have you ever notice yor children are when they are sleeping? (And so well-behaved too!) THere are some days when those hours of rest are the only hours of contentment. Let’s face it; it’s not just the children who struggle with geeling discontent. Thankfully, God’s Word gives us the answers we need when we go to Him in prayer and reading the clues to finding contentment. God speaksto our hearts through His Love Letter to His children.
The Apostle Paul learned to be content. It’s wasn’t automatic for him, or for me, and it isn’t for you either. The very word learning implies a change in behavior. We have no idea what Paul specifically did to change his behavior, but he did find contentment. For each one of us, learning to be content involves more than reading a well-written book or hearing a gripping sermon on contentment. Those two sources can give we helpful insructions for achieving our goals, but ultimately we are the ones who need to change. With God’s help we do change when we allow Jesus to take control. An initiate change happens like Paul, we can learn to be content right where we are in “whatever the circumstances.” We can choose to change in our behavior, but we can’t do it without Jesus we need His Spirit with us to help. That’s where trusting God comes in. “In God We Trust!”
Picture of my BFF Avery and myself on our first day of Senior year I can’t believe it, but I’m about to start my 3rd year of college in a couple weeks, and most of my friends’ siblings are starting next week, so with a new school year quickly approaching, it’s time to get in […]
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Dear God, give me wisdom to know when I am being led in a foolish direction. Help me to resist the temptation of alcohol today. I know it is not only leads to foolish decisions, it is also dangerous. Give me the courage to turn away from alcohol or anything offering false promises of happiness. You are the only thing that will bring me true fulfillment. Thank you for giving us refuge and courage to battle temptations such as these. Please use me to help others struggling with these temptations, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.
In this world, you will have enemies. There will be times when you are afraid. But, when you place your faith in God, you will find refuge. Like young birds are protected by their parents, God will offer you the same protection. Call on him when you need protection and he will cover you. You can rest safely with Him like a baby bird would do under the wings of its father. Believing in his truths will provide you with a shield and buckler – more protection against enemies and destruction.
Dear God, thank you for loving me enough to rescue me from my sin. You call me your child and you love me as a father. When I am afraid, let me feel you near. May I draw to you to find refuge and protection. I am placing my trust in you completely. While I know I will face struggles here on earth, help me to remember that you will never leave me or forsake me. O Lord, I cling to your promises. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Have you been treated unfairly? Have you ever been treated unjustly because of your faith? If so, take heart! The Bible reminds us that as Christians we will be persecuted. It also reminds us that Christ also suffered unjustly. He did not simply suffer – he died for our sins. He did this so that we might come to know God. Yet, in the death of his human flesh, he was still triumphant! When we suffer because of our faith, may we be reminded of Christ, who suffered infinitely more than we ever will in order to draw people to God.
Dear God, thank you for sending your son, Jesus Christ, to come to live on earth amongst us. We understand your son was sinless and blameless, yet He suffered because of our sins. This act of mercy and grace is more than we can comprehend. Help us to share the news of your son’s death and resurrection with others. And, when we are treated unfairly because of our faith in you, may we continue to press on because we know that you also suffered. In Jesus’ name, amen.
God appointed Samuel as His prophet during the period of selecting two kings: first Saul and then David. This verse follows the moment when the Lord called Samuel. From then on, Samuel continued to grow, the Lord was with him, and all of his prophecies came true. God did great things through Samuel, and it began when God spoke to Samuel and he listened calling himself the Lord’s servant. Are you willing to do whatever it is God has for you? God works mightily through His servants.
Lord, You did mighty things through Samuel. I praise You for Your mighty works. You do great things through Your people. You make small acts into mighty deeds. I will be Your servant. Whatever small things or large things you have for me, I will do. I bow before You, ready and willing to do Your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
When you are young, it is wise to remember God and live for Him. Do not wait until you are old to come to God. He can bring You more joy than any earthly thing. His rewards are greater than any prize on earth. Come to God and serve Him now. He deserves your praise when you are young and when you are old.
Heavenly Father, I will live for You now when I am young. I won’t wait until I am older. I want to serve You now and later. I want my every day to be spent serving You and being in Your will. I want to experience Your presence. I want to pray on my knees before and after I need a cushion to do so. You are great and I praise You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
So you love the Lord. What do you do about that? Isaiah was cleansed of His sin. The first thing he did was to say, “Send me. ” Are you willing to be sent by the Lord? Will you go for the Lord? Now, this may or may not mean traveling to another place. But essentially it means to do the will of the Lord and what He is calling You to do. The Lord has something for you. Follow His lead. If you don’t feel He is leading you, then prepare yourself to be sent, pray that He will send you, and wait for Him.
Lord, I want to do Your will. You have saved me and I am so grateful for that. You are too good to me. Send me. I want to do your work. I want to do whatever You have for me. If You ask me to be a janitor, I will. If You ask me to share the good news of Jesus with a friend or stranger, I will speak. If You ask me to give up my possessions, I will. If You send me somewhere I don’t want to go, I will obey. Whatever it is, send me. In Jesus’ holy name amen.
God is the source of peace. You could be the most stressed out person in the planet, but God can give you incomprehensible peace. Give your worries to the Lord. He raised Jesus from the dead; He can certainly give you great peace. Have faith in the Lord and seek Him, He will give you rest. God will do a great work within you, seek Him.
Lord, God of Heaven and Earth, You are the God of peace. Be my refuge from my troubles. Be my shelter in the storm. Be my rock surrounded by sinking sand. Your name is great. You are mighty. You do not cause turmoil within me though, You bring peace. Can I have peace that comes from You? I want to find refuge and rest in You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Why would a foolish man try to buy wisdom from another man? If he is a fool and not wise, he will not know whether or not the advice is good anyways. If you are afraid you are not being wise or that you are a fool, there is a remedy: reading Proverbs. The book of Proverbs is filled with wisdom. If you have children, read it to them before they go sleep. Teach others and yourself to value wisdom. It is one thing to not be wise but value wisdom and seek it, if that is the case you will eventually become wise. It is much worse to not care for wisdom or even to choose to stay unwise. The Bible also says that we can pray for wisdom, so go ahead and ask God for some wisdom whenever you need it!
Lord God, you are the God of wisdom and truth. You know all wisdom and created it. Lord, make me wise. You have set responsibilities before me, and I want to do them well, so give me wisdom on how to complete the task the best I can. You know me. You know the gifts You’ve given me. I know that You can never have too much wisdom, so make me wise. And always keep me humble because I do not want to be wise and proud. I come to You in Jesus’ name. Amen.
It is good and profitable to use God’s wisdom to solve situations. When we try and solve situations using our emotions, mistakes will always be made. You will find joy and happiness when you rely on the wisdom of God, because it always ensures that situations turn out for the best.
Dear God, I pray that when I am faced with situations that need to be resolved, may I never turn to my emotions or external influences. May your voice be the first one I hear and may I listen to it too. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
Salvation gives us every reason to be joyful and glad. Jesus Christ has stripped us of all sin and darkness, and He has given us light. He has made us pure before the Father’s eyes. The way a bridegroom would adorn His bride, is the way Christ has adorned us, out of His love for us.
Dear God, I am truly grateful for this gift of salvation. Father, I thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ, who has saved me, cleansed me, and made me new before you. I am free from the weight of my old life and I can live happily in this new life, as a part of you, because of what Christ has done for me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
In times of trials and tribulations, no matter how young, fit, or strong we may be, there is nothing of our own that will be able to keep us going. The enemy will always strive to wear us down. But if we wait on God, trust in Him completely, He will refresh us and give us the strength we need to carry one.
Dear God, there are many things we face in this world on a daily basis. When we try to handle things on our own, we end up discouraged and exhausted. Lord, I ask that you strengthen us when we are weak, and may you sustain us at all times. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
When we are in Christ, we live a life of winning – no matter what. When we are alive, it is for the benefit of those around us as we continue to minister to them. When we die, it is still gain because we are simply returning to our heavenly home.
Dear God, I thank you that in you, there is always gain. I do not fear the works of man – even if it may lead to my death – because I know all situations always work out to your glory. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
When we are in Christ, we live a life of winning – no matter what. When we are alive, it is for the benefit of those around us as we continue to minister to them. When we die, it is still gain because we are simply returning to our heavenly home.
Dear God, I thank you that in you, there is always gain. I do not fear the works of man – even if it may lead to my death – because I know all situations always work out to your glory. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Some tend to mistake God’s patience for slackness, and that is a mistake. If God wanted to, He could choose for Christ to return today. The reason why God hasn’t called such an order is because He wants as many people who are lost to become saved so that they do not perish in the Lake of fire.
Dear God, I pray for all of those who are lost and do not know you. I pray that their eyes will be opened to your goodness, Lord. May they realize that they need a Savior, and may the turn to you, Father. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
No matter what we do in our lives, as Christians we have to remember that all glory must go to God, the Father. He is the Creator of all things good and pure, and He is the only one who is deserving of all the glory and the praise.
Dear God, I would like to take this moment to reflect on your mightiness and on how glorious you are. There is no one like you. No one can ever love the way you have. No one could have created the universe the way you did. Father, I simply pray that in all I do, may all glory always be given to you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
As Christians we move by faith and never by sight. Just because we cannot see God with our physical eyes, does not mean that He is not real – Because He is. The Christian walk is a walk of faith. We live contrary to the world that bases all their belief on what they can see, hear, and touch. If we forfeit our faith, and we do not believe in Christ, all our efforts will be in vain.
Dear God, I ask that you will help me remain faithful to this cause. Lord, whenever temptation or doubt comes my way, may you give me the strength to turn away from them and focus on you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
As Christians we move by faith and never by sight. Just because we cannot see God with our physical eyes, does not mean that He is not real – Because He is. The Christian walk is a walk of faith. We live contrary to the world that bases all their belief on what they can see, hear, and touch. If we forfeit our faith, and we do not believe in Christ, all our efforts will be in vain.
Dear God, I ask that you will help me remain faithful to this cause. Lord, whenever temptation or doubt comes my way, may you give me the strength to turn away from them and focus on you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
As you walk in your Christian life, you need to ensure that you remain rooted in Christ at all times. The enemy will try to railroad you and tamper with your faith. But as you can see, in this verse, God is able to keep you, through His Spirit, and remind you to focus on Christ at all times.
Dear God, I pray that no matter what may come my way. I will remain focused at all times, knowing that your Spirit is keeping me and strengthening me. I thank you, Lord, that I do not have to face this world on my own. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Song is something that may bring people from very disparate parts of life together, for songs can reach beyond borders and into peoples’ lives. Therefore it may get stuck in their heads, or stay with them for years on end, the words or tune affixed to a special time and memory. Would it be preposterous to suggest we treat Gods’ love like such a melody? Is it not after all, something immaterial but which moves us in some deep and knowing way? Literally, spread songs of joy amongst friends and nations, if you can, seek out other religious songs in other tongues. Figuratively sing His praise, let it be one of your favorite songs to carry with you wherever you go.
Lord Almighty, hear my songs of praise, hear my love for You rising up like a melody. Remind me that it is just as important to speak Your name as it is to sing it. Grant me this audience Lord, just as I wish to hear it from others. May it please You, may it harmonize with Your promise of everlasting life and eternal grace. Amen.
Listen to others speak, and one may slowly begin to deduce things from their character. Are their words filled with more positives than negatives? Are there curses or praises? Are they loud and gregarious, or silent and defensive? These come down to individual characters and history, but it is important to pay mind to the kind of language you use as a believer, for it may profoundly affect your outlook on life and God. The word in Scripture is not like that which comprises every day exchanges, so pay respect to it, give it reverence; these words were carefully chosen, passed down through generations for you by Him.
Heavenly Father, I thank you for Your word, passed down to us through Scripture and the mouths of our forbearers. Like those who have gone before us, please help guide us Lord in giving our respect to them and to You, by using Your word with reverence and veneration, disseminating Your truth. May my words shine a light unto You Lord, Amen.
One can never praise enough Gods’ glory, even if one tries! Everyday set aside something you are thankful for and give thanks to the Lord in prayer. Every day give blessings to the Lord for all he has provided for you. Extol his name whenever there is a moment, and let his angels hear!
Lord my Almighty Father, I exalt Your name in the highest of Heaven! At your feet, I give my thanks and blessing, and pray that in each and every day, You hear my gratitude. Help me maintain my daily prayers and duty to You Lord, so that I may never stray from Your truth. Amen.
Dear Delana,
From time to time I like to offer particular saints as sources of inspiration and models of virtue. And since this is the Feast of St. Scholastica, I just can’t pass up the opportunity to take a peek at her story today. After all, she’s St. Benedict’s beloved twin sister, and at Belmont Abbey College, she has a special place in our Benedictine hearts.
The founder of an order of nuns based a few miles from her brother’s monastery in Monte Casino, Scholastica spearheaded the women’s Benedictine movement alongside Benedict’s masculine order. In fact, my favorite story about St. Scholastica hinges on her proximity to Benedict, in more ways than one.
Once a year, the twins would meet to spend a day at a farmhouse between their communities, where they prayed, discussed spiritual matters and shared what amounted to an annual retreat. It was a blessing to which they always looked forward, a period of refreshment and fellowship.
On what would be their final meeting before her death, Scholastica asked Benedict to stay and continue their prayer and reflection through the night. But her brother refused, reminding her that this contravened the rule of his order, by which monks weren’t permitted to spend nights outside the monastery.
I like to imagine the scene that followed: Scholastica bowing her head and folding her hands quietly, as Benedict walks to the door and stops, stares out at the sudden storm, which is rapidly gathering in what had been, up to then, an immaculate sky. Turning back to his sister with consternation, he demands, “What have you done?” But she looks up and smiles, shrugging that “I asked for something and you refused, so I asked God and he granted it.”
I always enjoy the gutsy mixture of trust and love in that story – and the tenderness and sense of humor in her relationship, not only with Benedict – with whom she models the kind of Platonic friendship that embraces a shared journey toward the Good – but also with God. She asks without presuming, and the response she receives is a seamless expression of merciful love, through which she enjoys a few more hours of Benedict’s prayerful companionship before their earthly separation. St. Scholastica reminds me that God is playful and kind, and that when He seems to be thwarting my intentions – as Benedict may have felt, looking out at the storm – He’s actually offering a different gift.
The World—Everything Is Different, but Nothing Has Changed
And the times are changing quickly. No one has any idea what the world will look like in ten years, let alone twenty or thirty. The rapid development of technology is more than we can take in. Those of us over the age of forty were born before the digital revolution really started. We’ve learned to use laptops, cameras, the Internet, and our personal electronic products, but it’s like learning a foreign language. But those under the age of forty have grown up with the digital revolution, and to them it’s their mother tongue. This has created the biggest generational gap since rock and roll.
Even greater is the moral generational gap. Those over forty in the western world grew up in a culture that still retained a semblance of its historic Judeo-Christian heritage. Our worldview contained some remaining vestiges of biblical truth. But our children are growing in an increasingly secular society.
But don’t despair. The things that matter most haven’t changed one iota. The little Book in my suit pocket is as unchanging as Him who is from everlasting to everlasting. That strengthens us whatever change may come.
Many at Galatia had been influenced by the “Judaizers, ” Jewish Christians, or at least Christians in name, who sought to be justified through keeping the Law of Moses. But Paul tells them that the true function of the Law was not to save but to be a “schoolmaster” or “teacher” to bring them to Christ. Once they saw the impossibility of keeping the Law and the great culpability of breaking it, they would see their need to be saved by faith alone.
Lord, that schoolmaster (your Law) that revealed our need of a Savior is still revealing to us our shortcomings. As love is the fulfilling of the Law, and to love God and neighbor is the sum of it, we see the Law is a helpful guide for Christian conduct. Use it to test us and show us our flaws, then turn us by grace to the keeping of it through love. Amen.
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
To remove the curse of God for breaking his Law from us, Jesus took our guilt upon himself and suffered that curse in our place. God cannot demand “double payment” for sin, so that he cannot justly condemn those whose sins were paid for in full on the cross. That is why there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
O Lamb of God, it is your blood that takes away the sin-debt of the world, even of every one who believes on your name. We could not bear the punishment of our sin, nor endure the day of God’s wrath against sin. We praise you for your work of love on the cross, where you redeemed us from the curse of the Law. Amen.
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
It is in God’s design of things that children should grow up and leave the home. It is normal that they should go out and begin their own home. For our families to be strong and healthy, unlike the “fractured” if not broken families the world is so full of, husband and wife must remain in close, intimate union. And this union is a picture of the union between Christ and His Church.
God, help us to work at our relationships with others so that they will be all you intend them to be. Let my relationship with you be the foundation for a good relationship with spouse, children, parents, all family and friends, and every acquaintance. Amen.
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved; )
Perhaps the two sweetest words in the whole Bible are found here, “But God. ” In the verse just preceding, it is stated that believers were “children of wrath even as others” before their conversion. But God had a great love for them, which led him to “quicken, ” that is “raise to life, ” those who were dead spiritually. Paul then adds emphatically, “by grace you are saved. “
May we say with conviction, O Lord, that old Christian saying, “There, but for the grace of God, go I. ” May we recognize that it was your saving love that made the difference with us. We were dead to God, unable to respond properly to him. But your love laid hold on us, Lord, and you imparted to us life. And we know that yours is a love that “will not let us go.” Amen.
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
The Holy Spirit is here called the Spirit of Wisdom, using a grammatical construction that in the Greek indicates the Spirit is the “source of” or “giver of” wisdom. In 2 Timothy 3:15, we learn that the Scriptures are “able to make you wise unto salvation. ” When God opens our understanding to see the truth of the Gospel, he enlightens us and imparts to us wisdom to know and act on the truth. He then gives us hope of future glory and assures us of that hope by “the working of his mighty power” in us. That is the very power that raised up Jesus from the dead.
Open our minds more and more, we pray, to understand your truths. Let the “resurrection power” of God that raised Jesus Christ’s body from the grave raise up our spirits to live more and more a “resurrection life” of obedience to you. Amen.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
Faith is a gift from God, but it is also a thing that we are called to diligently work at and improve. In fact, these verses on diligence are further informed by verse 10 of the same chapter where our diligence is said to be the means of making “our calling and election sure. ” That is, when faith, virtue (moral fortitude), knowledge (gained through experience), self-control, patient endurance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love abound in our lives, it is fruit of righteousness that helps assure our hearts that indeed we are God’s children and will enter his everlasting kingdom (verse 11).
Lord, we take seriously your command to strive diligently after godliness and all Christian virtues in our daily walk. We know that you do not desire our faith to remain “alone, ” but that it should be accompanied by all Christian graces. We are encouraged to know that you will help us and guide us as we grow in all of these areas, step by step. Amen.
But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
There will be days when you are tempted and days when you need protection, but you are a child of God. God will never leave you or forsake you – you will never have to walk through these challenging times alone. He is always faithful. He offers his protection and will help you stay away from evil. He has given you his Holy Spirit as a guide. Trust the Spirit to alert you when you have stumbled into trouble and call on him for protection.
Dear God, when I am fearful and need courage, I know you will strengthen me. You are always faithful and you will never leave me – thank you! Help me to trust you to guide me through difficult situations and protect me from any evil the evil one tries to use against me. O Lord, make my faith stronger so that I do not have a spirit of fear. Thank you for rescuing me time and time again. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Isaiah was dirty and full of sin. He was unworthy to see God’s holiness. Then the heavenly being took a hot coal from God’s alter. He put it on Isaiah lips and his sins were taken away and cleansed. Similarly, Jesus cleanses us who have faith in Him. He cleanses us and He makes us pure. Jesus Christ is our only hope of salvation from our wickedness. He is the only way to the Father and to heaven. Do you have faith in Jesus to remove your sins? If you cannot confidently answer, think and pray about it. It is always better to be sure. It is okay to not be sure; there is no shame in that. Get on your knees and ask God to reveal Himself to You. Proclaim your faith in Him and give Him your life. This is the way to salvation from your wickedness, sin, and the punishment you deserve – that we all deserve, but Jesus bore. Moses had brought the Israelites out of Egypt and now they were wondering if they were any better off! They had reached the Red Sea, and couldn’t see any way around this barrier that had been placed before them. But God knew what he was doing and Moses followed his instructions and the sea parted so that the Israelites could pass through on dry ground. A question sometimes asked at a job interview is, “What do you do when you face an obstacle?” How would you answer? Would you try to go around it, through it, or perhaps over it? Moses could not go around his obstacle and knew that without help, he could never bring all the people, animals and supplies through it. So, he asked God for help. Was that the first thing you thought of? There is a saying, “If God brings you to it, he will bring you through it.” The key here is to ask God to bring us through it. We often face challenges in our lives, especially when we are trying to live as Jesus wants us to live. Have you ever been asked why you believe? If not you probably will be. It can be hard to find the right words at times, but God will give us the words if we ask. Just as he promised Samuel, Isaiah and the other prophets, he will not leave us on our own and will give us the words we need when we need them. The next time you meet an obstacle, let God lead you over, under, around or through it. He will guide us in the right way to go. Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, He was prophesied about. That He would restore and bring life not break and ruin. That he would bring forth judgment on the Earth, and people everywhere across the oceans would listen to what He had to say. Now thousands of years later, people all over the Earth still listen to what Jesus has to say. Jesus is glorified through all history. People on every continent and in every country listen for His voice and read His Word. Jesus, thank You for bearing the burden and punishment of my sins and wrongdoings. You are the only way to come to the Father and to everlasting life. I place my faith in You and You only. I believe that You, Jesus, are the Son of God. I believe in the Father and Holy Spirit also. I believe in the trinity and that the Trinity is one. I put no one else before You in my priorities. If You are not at my center, remove idols from my life. I place my life, faith, and trust in You. I repent from my wrongdoing, and I come before You in faith. My life is in Your hands. I come to You because You are gracious and let me call on Your name. Amen. The first thing Andrew did when He found out Jesus was the Christ was to go tell his brother. Andrew went and got Peter and brought him to Jesus. Andrew could have been scoffed at or rejected by Peter if Peter did not believe Jesus was the Christ; yet, Andrew took him to Jesus anyways, and I’m sure he was glad he did. You have Jesus, and you love Him. Have you tried to bring your family to Him? Knowing Jesus is the only way to eternal life, wouldn’t you want to try your best to introduce Him to your grandparents, mother, father, brothers, sisters, and cousins? Heavenly Father, give me strength and courage to introduce You to my family. They need You. I want to speak to them about You. Help me to tell them about You well. Help me to answer questions they have and to try to find them the answers I don’t know. Soften their hearts. Only You can bring them to You, so please do so. In Jesus’ name. Amen. And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. Sometimes we grow weary as believers. Walking the road of faith gets hard. Other times it gets mundane. Sometimes doubt creeps in. We may even allow sin to fester in our lives and lead us to complacency and ceasing to listen to the Holy Spirit. But as believers, we can encourage our brothers and sisters to continue in the faith. Sometimes all someone needs is a reminder, encouragement, and support. Heavenly Father, help my brothers and sisters. Give them strength and endurance to continue in the faith You called them to. Place people in their lives to encourage them. Bring them to a deeper love for You. Make them to feel Your presence this week. Let them remember why they first loved You. You are our great love. You are the worthiest of our love. You are worthy of more than we can give. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Father God, You sent Your son to the world to save us. He was with you in the beginning. People everywhere listen to His words. Jesus is amazing and true. Thank You for Your goodness, and that You build up and care for the weak. Help Your Church that is scattered all over the Earth. Unite us, Your Bride. Help us to glorify you and to proclaim Your gospel to the nations. In Jesus’ name. Amen. When we reach a point of contentment, we are not moved by what another person does or does not have. Contentment prevents us from defining ourselves according to the world’s values. We become content through God, in whom we know we have everything we need. Eternal life, being the most important of it all. Dear God, I thank you that I can be totally content in you. You have filled all the gaps and voids in my life. I know that I will never find contentment in this world; only in you and you alone. I pray that more and more of your children will come to realize this too, Lord. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Sometimes people tend to take God’s love and everlasting mercy as a way for them to continue living irresponsibly. When they are confronted about their actions, their response is “God loves me for who I am. ” Yes, he does, but our love for Him should compel us to be convicted of our sins and confess them to him. God won’t hold our sins against us; he is quick to forgive and swift to restore. Dear God, once again I would like to thank you for your endless love and everlasting mercy. Father, I am sorry for any time I have taken you or your love for granted. If there has ever been a time where I tried to use the grace you have given so freely as an excuse to live irresponsibly, I humbly confess where I have erred, and I receive your forgiveness. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Dear God, I pray for those who have chosen to turn from you. Lord, I pray that something in their hearts will make them change their minds about you. May they experience your love, Lord, in all its fullness and may they be compelled by this to know you more. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Someone once said that there are no u-hauls behind hearses. The implication is that you can’t take it with you when you die. There’s a story of a man who tried. When the doctors told him he had a short time to live, he converts some of this cash into gold bricks, puts them in a suitcase and instructs that this suitcase should be buried with him. When he approaches the pearly gates carrying the suitcase, St. Peter stops him and asks to look inside the suitcase. The angel Gabriel asks, “What’s in the suitcase?” “Pavement,” replies St. Peter. The story illustrates that in heaven what we consider to be wealth on this earth is really nothing. Heaven’s streets are paved with gold. That would be the equivalent of us finding some kind of value in asphalt or concrete chunks here on earth. We spent a lot of time trying to get things on this earth. We spend a lot of time working to get more and more and more stuff that we just don’t need. If you don’t believe it, take a look at what happens when a person dies without an heir. A lawyer has to come in, open up the house, and sell off all the belongs to settle the estate. Thousands and thousands of dollars worth of stuff–sometimes still in boxes–is sold for pennies on the dollar. An entire lifetime of obtaining things and the only thing that happens is that strangers come in to pick over the possessions a giant yard sale. This passage tells us that we are to be content with what we have. We should be content with food and clothing. As long as our needs are met on a daily basis, that’s really all we should ask for. Everything else is just bonus stuff and if we are spending time away from our families, if we’re spending time focusing on getting rather than focusing on living, then we’re being very foolish because we can’t take it with us. When the end comes, all the stuff that we bought stay right here our closets or our garages. While we’re on this earth we need to make the right choices and be sure that we are able to be content with what we have. Then we may end up with few things that we went. Childbirth can be a painful experience. Even with the best pain killers available, the stress and trauma of childbirth cannot be lessened greatly. A mother giving birth may travail in labor for hours. Her contractions may be painful and the birth process may be grueling. In that period of labor, she suffers greatly. But as soon as she sees the face of that newborn child, all of that passes away. The suffering, the pain, disappears and is replaced by joy. Here Paul gives us a similar situation. Paul explains here that the Gospel has great power to sustain us in times of trouble. He was not talking only about the trials that Christians in his time had to endure, but the sickness, pain, and trouble that all Christians, throughout time would have to endure. He says that no matter how difficult the suffering in this world is, it does not even compare to the glory that awaits us in heaven. The glory that will be revealed to us is so great in comparison to the suffering that preceded it. We will forget our former trials when we get a glimpse of that glory. We are children of God. Think about that for a minute. The God of the universe sent his son to be born of a woman on earth living under the law – a woman like us. He sent his son so that we might be free from this law – the law of sin and death. We are free because of his sacrifice, and we have been made sons and daughters of God through him. How amazing! Paul cries out here in anguish over indwelling sin that remained in him. He longs for the day when he will be free fully from the power of sin. While we live, a conflict is in us between the old and the new natures. It is a daily battle. It does not end until we leave this world, but God can help us subdue the flesh and live increasingly out of the new nature. Father, I thank You for being with me in my trials. I know that I will have to suffer some in this world and I know I will have to go through trials. I also know, however, that what will be revealed to me when I finally see You face to face will make it all worthwhile. My suffering will fade to nothing as I see the glory of Your face. Amen. If we hate that which is evil, we will love that which is good. The two go together hand in hand. You cannot love God and love Satan; you cannot love God’s Law and also love the paths of unrighteousness. At least, your heart of hearts and your new nature from the new birth will seek what is truly good; the old nature will seek sin, but the Christian must subdue and overcome it. The age old question of who’s right! There’s a commercial for an automobile company that uses the slogan of “either/or, or both/and” that I kind of like. Not that I’m supporting the company, but because I believe we sometimes think in an either/or way when it’s really important to be a both/and kind of person. In today’s gospel, Martha is busy about hospitality and Mary extends hospitality in a quieter manner. We need both, and we need to be both. There are times when we need to be about doing what Jesus tells us to do, but if all we do is “do” and we don’t take the time to listen, we just might get it wrong. Mary sits and listens to Jesus while Martha feels overwhelmed with her tasks. When Martha complains, Jesus tells her not to be anxious and worried, and I think that here is the key. When we take the time to sit and listen to Jesus and then move on to follow the will of God, we don’t have to be anxious and worried; we can relax in the knowledge that we are doing our best, and that is what is required of us. Jesus doesn’t say that what Martha is doing is unimportant; he just seems to imply that she shouldn’t be so focused on her work, that she neglects her need for being present and listening. We, too, can be so busy doing that we forget to take the time to pray, to reflect on Scripture, to sit and listen to Jesus. During the sometimes lazy days of summer, let us take advantage of the laziness and just sit in God’s presence and reflect on who we are and who we are called to be, so that when the time comes to be busy again, we’ll be ready. Micah is a prophet at around the same time as Isaiah and has come to prophesy punishment to those who are behaving in an unjust manner. Just because a person has the power or authority to act unjustly, doesn’t mean that he should. One might think that harassment or schemes to defraud people of their property or their inheritance, are something new, but Micah lets us know that these things have been going on since antiquity. God isn’t any happier today about these practices than he was then. Micah made known God’s displeasure to the kings and leaders of the day. He warns that their unjust practices need to stop and that the people need to repent or else they are leaving themselves open to attack by armies greater than theirs. As we know, Assyria and Babylon both decimated Judah and Israel. Think about the Roman Empire, they too had fallen into such a moral decay that they were open to being overcome by Constantine. What about today? We have become lax in our time as well. Corporate takeovers that have little respect for the rights of the workers have become common. Even companies that have not been taken over have been known to change their policies and limit the benefits that their employees enjoy. Communities can take property away from individuals for schools, highways, shopping centers, by eminent domain and those who live on the properties are forced to move. Although owners are reimbursed, renters need to fend for themselves. Looking out for number one, whether personally, communally or nationally can lead to ignoring the essentials and there is nothing to stop others from overcoming us. As Micah says, we need to work for justice if we want peace. And so still today, the Jewish people celebrate Passover and one of the traditions is for someone to ask why we celebrate this feast, and the youngest child answers with the story of the Passover. Jesus was celebrating Passover with his friends on the night before he died. I know this reading comes up during the summer, so it’s not the time for Passover, or the Passion of Jesus, but I have a question. What are our traditions surrounding the passion and death and resurrection of Jesus? Do we celebrate the end of Lent on Holy Thursday? Do we spend time with Jesus on Good Friday remembering his sacrifice? Is Easter all about candy and the Easter bunny? Today, many of our churches are practically empty on Easter Sunday and the children think more about an Easter egg hunt than God. Would the youngest member of the family be able to tell the story of why we celebrate? God brought the Israelites from slavery to freedom at the original Passover, but Jesus brought us from the slavery of sin and the freedom to celebrate eternity with him in heaven. One was temporary, the other is permanent. Why is it that we take this celebration so lightly? Even though it’s summer, let’s take a moment to think about how the story of our faith is being passed on to our youth. God’s name as it is written in Scripture is either Jehovah or Yahweh, or just YHWH. All are translations of He is Who He is. Because the Jewish people did not call God by the name he gave Moses. It is for this reason that the Jewish people were so angry when Jesus said that before Abraham came to be I AM. To say God’s name was to blaspheme. For the people of Moses’ time, names had power. They felt that to use the name of God was to say that they had power over God, and so the name was sacred. I can remember an uncle of mine who would often take not just the Lord’s name in vain when he was angry, but would also use it to curse whoever he was angry with. I’m sure you know many people who do the same without even blinking an eye. Good Christians, all, who would be horrified if they were called on it. We are offended when people use foul language, why are we not offended when the Lord’s name is taken in vain? A friend of mine used to work in the office of a major manufacturing company and the man who sat behind her was continually cursing the company and its managers. One day she had had enough and turned to him and said, “No wonder the company is going to pot, you keep asking God to damn it.” He had never considered that he was both swearing and cursing, but he stopped. What about us? Do we need to clean up our speech, or ask other to do so? How do I praise God? God doesn’t want an animal sacrifice he wants a sacrifice of the heart. He wants a joyous heart, a heart that bursts into song because it can’t help itself. A heart so full of gratitude that song is the only way a body can express it. I love music; I love to sing the songs of praise in church. I might not have the best voice but it’s the one God gave me so he must think it’s good enough. There is something about music that lifts the soul. It’s no wonder that the psalms are music. In fact, this psalm even tells us which piece of music to sing it to – “Lilies!” When we think about it, some of the most glorious music was written for religious reasons: Handel’s Messiah is but one example. When we listen to the anthems of many nations, we see how they give thanks and praise to God. Whether we raise our voices in song or not, what is important is that we raise our voices in thanks and praise to God. Our prayers acknowledge that we know who is in charge, to whom we owe everything and who deserves our praise. Lord, I pray for the older people who do not know You. I pray they will find Your love and joy. Let them lean on You for strength and understanding. Help them to smile and live out the remainder of their days for You. Get them the word if they don’t have access to it. Bring Christians into their lives to speak life into them. You are the God who cares for the young and old, weak and strong, rich and poor. Bless our elderly and help us honor them. In Jesus’ name. Amen. The writer of this Psalm desperately wanted God to show His strength through him, an old man. He wanted everyone to know God’s power. As we grow old, we can still show God’s strength. As we become weaker, we can proclaim how strong He is. Do not lose heart as you grow old. The retired missionary now goes door to door to preach even though he’s walking slowly. The woman who started doing jail ministry long ago is often decades later faithfully visiting the jail. Whatever God is calling you to, God is greater than your age. Lord, as I grow old, let me still serve You faithfully. When I’m weak, help me to show others Your strength. Through wrinkles, let others see the joy on my face that comes only from You. Even if I’m moving slowly, let me still move for You. I will gladly do Your will until my last breath. If I’m on this earth, You have me here for a reason. I will continue to live for You. In Jesus’ name. Amen. We were all introduced to our savior, Jesus Christ, through someone else. When we truly understand salvation, it is not enough for us to simply receive it. In our excitement, we will gladly go tell others about this miraculous savior. The prophet describes how when a city came to know the Lord, they rushed to pray and seek God so that they could go to another city to share this good news. The Word tells us we are commissioned to tell others the good news – let us go quickly!
Human Trafficking Survivor; God and Country, Without God There is No Country/ Judeo-Christian / America Belongs to God 