John 6: 41-51 ~ Listen

http://www.onmission.com/site/c.cnKHIPNuEoG/b.830191/k.6994/When_God_calls_listen.htm

John 6:41-51

41-42 At this, because he said, "I am the Bread that came down from heaven," the Jews started arguing over him: "Isn't this the son of Joseph? Don't we know his father? Don't we know his mother? How can he now say, 'I came down out of heaven' and expect anyone to believe him?"

43-46 Jesus said, "Don't bicker among yourselves over me. You're not in charge here. The Father who sent me is in charge. He draws people to me—that's the only way you'll ever come. Only then do I do my work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End. This is what the prophets meant when they wrote, 'And then they will all be personally taught by God.' Anyone who has spent any time at all listening to the Father, really listening and therefore learning, comes to me to be taught personally—to see it with his own eyes, hear it with his own ears, from me, since I have it firsthand from the Father. No one has seen the Father except the One who has his Being alongside the Father—and you can see me.

47-51 "I'm telling you the most solemn and sober truth now: Whoever believes in me has real life, eternal life. I am the Bread of Life. Your ancestors ate the manna bread in the desert and died. But now here is Bread that truly comes down out of heaven. Anyone eating this Bread will not die, ever. I am the Bread—living Bread!—who came down out of heaven. Anyone who eats this Bread will live—and forever! The Bread that I present to the world so that it can eat and live is myself, this flesh-and-blood self."

Romans 8 ~ concern of the flesh or life and peace

Romans ~ Chapter 8
1
1 Hence, now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2
For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death.
3
For what the law, weakened by the flesh, was powerless to do, this God has done: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for the sake of sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
4
so that the righteous decree of the law might be fulfilled in us, who live not according to the flesh but according to the spirit.
5
For those who live according to the flesh are concerned with the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit with the things of the spirit.
6
The concern of the flesh is death, but the concern of the spirit is life and peace.
7
For the concern of the flesh is hostility toward God; it does not submit to the law of God, nor can it;
8
and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9
But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
10
But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
11
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you.

The purpose of the daily liturgy is to read the bible. The links provided are to read the other passages. <><
http://scripture-for-today.blogspot.com
http://www.crivoice.org/epiphany1.html
http://www.biblegateway.com/

Psalm 89:1-18 ~ love & faithfulness go before you

Cory's Family got out to speak to the front of the 5 mile line honoring their son.



Today was the day that my son and his friends turned out to say good-bye to their good friend, Cory Kosters. 5 miles of people turned out to wave a flag for Cory to acknowledge this hometown boy gave his life for his country, the ultimate sacrifice. The sermon was the best description of Cory's life, he lived for his hero, Jesus. Cory was supposed to be home for March 5th, but Cory was killed in Iraq on March 5th at age 19, because he'd given his leave to an army buddy to go home & see his newborn.

Cory never lived to receive glory for himself, but his life was filled with his kindness giving glory to his Savior. As Cory left for Iraq, his parents gave him a bible. Cory met a "random guy sitting next to me on the plane. He saw me reading my Bible and I asked him if he knew much about the Bible. He didn't, so I showed him a few passages and he was really pleased when I gave him my Bible."

My sons will miss Cory getting all the kids in the neighborhood to play "Commandos". Really it was hide and seek with flashlights. But the crowd included the two "bad" boys, twins who'd set fire to their own wooden fence. Cory re-directed that energy and told them why he was doing it, the twins would join in "Commandos." The young boy across the street with the troubled family, he'd join in. Cory staged an intervention at our house to talk about the difference between hunting and hurting small animals. It made a difference in that young boy's life. Cory was quite a man.

Today I watched six of my sons' close friends see their friend come home. I have such sorrow it was his coffin they clung to instead of their friend. I've never actually known anyone who died for their country, Cory was a hero. I will always remember Cory when I think of the men and women who gave their lives for this country. I now have a permanent marker in my heart for these heroes. Heaven will have a great reunion for those who love him.


To see a video on Cory Koster life, see: http://www.click2houston.com/news/11212674/detail.html http://www.khou.com/sharedcontent/VideoPlayer/videoPlayer.php?vidId=126947&catId=35
and highlights from today, see: http://woodlandsonline.com/npps/story.cfm?nppage=18682 Be sure to see page 2, its a wonderful, amazing tribute.




Psalm 89

1 I will sing of the LORD's great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.
2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

3 You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant,

4 'I will establish your line forever
and make your throne firm through all generations.' "
Selah

5 The heavens praise your wonders, O LORD,
your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.

6 For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD ?
Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings?

7 In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;
he is more awesome than all who surround him.

8 O LORD God Almighty, who is like you?
You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

9 You rule over the surging sea;
when its waves mount up, you still them.

10 You crushed Rahab like one of the slain;
with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.

11 The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;
you founded the world and all that is in it.

12 You created the north and the south;
Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.

13 Your arm is endued with power;
your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
love and faithfulness go before you.

15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.

16 They rejoice in your name all day long;
they exult in your righteousness.

17 For you are their glory and strength,
and by your favor you exalt our horn.

18 Indeed, our shield belongs to the LORD,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.


John 15:13
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

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Psalm 87 ~ My fountains are in you

St. Patrick ~ Thomas Cahill, Catholic author of the best-selling book How the Irish Saved Civilization ~ Some 1,500 years ago a teenage boy from what is now Great Britain was kidnapped and enslaved by marauders from a neighboring country. Not since Paris absconded with Helen of Troy has a kidnapping so changed the course of history.

The invading marauders came from fifth-century Ireland. The teenager they captured eventually escaped, but returned voluntarily some years later. In the meantime, he had become convinced that he was handpicked by God to convert the entire country to Christianity.

Apparently, he was right.

In the process of converting the primitive people of Ireland, however, the former slave experienced a conversion, too. In the years that followed, he not only shared God with the people of Ireland, but also grew in his understanding of God through them. Cahill says, "The early Irish Christianity planted in Ireland by Patrick is much more joyful and celebratory [than its Roman predecessor] in the way it approaches the natural world. It is really not a theology of sin but of the goodness of creation, and it really is intensely incarnational." His use of biblical quotations, Cahill says, "is far more accurate and appropriate than many of the Fathers of the Church."

It's hard to grasp just what an accomplishment that was, says Cahill. When Patrick decided to "willingly go back to the barbarians with the gospel," Cahill explains, "he had to figure out how to bring the values of the gospel he loved to such people. These were people who still practiced human sacrifice, who warred with each other constantly and who were renowned as the great slave traders of the day.

"That was not a simple thing. This was before courses were given to missionaries in what is now called inculturation—how to plant the gospel in such a culture," Cahill says. "No one had ever even thought about how to do it; Patrick had to work his way through it himself.

These two brief documents, Patrick's Confession and his "Letter to Coroticus," are the basis for all we know of the historical Patrick. The uncontested, if somewhat unspecific, biographical facts about Patrick are as follows:

Patrick was born Patricius somewhere in Roman Britain to a relatively wealthy family. He was not religious as a youth and, in fact, claims to have practically renounced the faith of his family.

When Patrick looked back at the end of his life on his service to Ireland, Cahill says, he must have been pleased with his accomplishments. By the time of his death, or shortly thereafter, "the Irish stopped slave trading and they never took it up again." Human sacrifice had become unthinkable. And although the Irish never stopped warring on one another, "war became much more confined and limited by what we might call the 'rules of warfare.'

"I think that though he probably died knowing that he had succeeded in his mission," Cahill adds, "he also died hoping that success would be permanent and not temporary."

In fact, Patrick's success couldn't have been more permanent. Not only had he accomplished what he'd set out to do—convert the nation to Christ—but in the process he'd retrieved from obscurity the primary objective set by Christ for his apostles: the spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth.

And so it was that a young Briton named Patricius died an Irishman named Patrick. And neither Ireland nor Christianity was ever quite the same.

Psalm 87
1 He has set his foundation on the holy mountain;
2 the LORD loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

3 Glorious things are said of you,
O city of God:
Selah

4 "I will record Rahab and Babylon
among those who acknowledge me—
Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush
and will say, 'This one was born in Zion.' "

5 Indeed, of Zion it will be said,
"This one and that one were born in her,
and the Most High himself will establish her."

6 The LORD will write in the register of the peoples:
"This one was born in Zion."
Selah

7 As they make music they will sing,
"All my fountains are in you."

John 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

Psalm 43

Psalm 43

[1] Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people;
from deceitful and unjust men
deliver me!
[2] For thou art the God in whom I take refuge;
why hast thou cast me off?
Why go I mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?
[3] Oh send out thy light and thy truth;
let them lead me,
let them bring me to thy holy hill
and to thy dwelling!
[4] Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy;
and I will praise thee with the lyre,
O God, my God.
[5] Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my help and my God.

Psalm 81 ~ I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt

I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt

Psalm 81

1 Sing for joy to God our strength;
shout aloud to the God of Jacob!
2 Begin the music, strike the tambourine,
play the melodious harp and lyre.
3 Sound the ram's horn at the New Moon,
and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast;
4 this is a decree for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
5 He established it as a statute for Joseph
when he went out against Egypt,
where we heard a language we did not understand.

6 He says, "I removed the burden from their shoulders;
their hands were set free from the basket.
7 In your distress you called and I rescued you,
I answered you out of a thundercloud;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah

8 "Hear, O my people, and I will warn you—
if you would but listen to me, O Israel!
9 You shall have no foreign god among you;
you shall not bow down to an alien god.
10 I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

11 "But my people would not listen to me;
Israel would not submit to me.
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.
13 "If my people would but listen to me,
if Israel would follow my ways,
14 how quickly would I subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes!
15 Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him,
and their punishment would last forever.
16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."

Romans 4:13-25 ~ it was also for us, to whom it will be credited

Romans 4:13-25

13
It was not through the law that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants that he would inherit the world, but through the righteousness that comes from faith.
14
For if those who adhere to the law are the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.
15
For the law produces wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.
16
For this reason, it depends on faith, so that it may be a gift, and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not to those who only adhere to the law but to those who follow the faith of Abraham, who is the father of all of us,
17
as it is written, "I have made you father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not exist.
18
He believed, hoping against hope, that he would become "the father of many nations," according to what was said, "Thus shall your descendants be."
19
He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body as (already) dead (for he was almost a hundred years old) and the dead womb of Sarah.
20
He did not doubt God's promise in unbelief; rather, he was empowered by faith and gave glory to God
21
and was fully convinced that what he had promised he was also able to do.
22
That is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."
23
But it was not for him alone that it was written that "it was credited to him";
24
it was also for us, to whom it will be credited, who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
25
who was handed over for our transgressions and was raised for our justification.

John 7:14-36 ~ you know where I am from

John 7:14-36

14 Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. 15 The Jews were amazed and asked, "How did this man get such learning without having studied?"

16 Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. 17 If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?"

20 "You are demon-possessed," the crowd answered. "Who is trying to kill you?"

21 Jesus said to them, "I did one miracle, and you are all astonished. 22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a child on the Sabbath. 23 Now if a child can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment."

25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill? 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from."

28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, "Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29 but I know him because I am from him and he sent me."

30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come. 31 Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, "When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?"

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.

33 Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come."

35 The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? 36 What did he mean when he said, 'You will look for me, but you will not find me,' and 'Where I am, you cannot come'?"

Jeremiah 5:1-9 ~ faces in the stone

The Ishtar Gate was built around 575 BC, by Nebuchadnezzar II, the same monarch who conquered Jerusalem in 586 BC. The Ishtar Gate foundations were discovered in 1899, and were reconstructed in the Pergamon Museum, Berlin, from the glazed bricks and other material excavated by the Robert Koldeway expedition in the early 1900's. This is the very Gate which the Jewish captives must have passed through, including Daniel and Ezekiel.

Jeremiah 5:1-9

1 “Run up and down every street in Jerusalem,” says the Lord.
“Look high and low; search throughout the city!
If you can find even one just and honest person,
I will not destroy the city.
2 But even when they are under oath,
saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’
they are still telling lies!”
3 Lord, you are searching for honesty.
You struck your people,
but they paid no attention.
You crushed them,
but they refused to be corrected.
They are determined, with faces set like stone;
they have refused to repent.

4 Then I said, “But what can we expect from the poor?
They are ignorant.
They don’t know the ways of the Lord.
They don’t understand God’s laws.
5 So I will go and speak to their leaders.
Surely they know the ways of the Lord
and understand God’s laws.”
But the leaders, too, as one man,
had thrown off God’s yoke
and broken his chains.
6 So now a lion from the forest will attack them;
a wolf from the desert will pounce on them.
A leopard will lurk near their towns,
tearing apart any who dare to venture out.
For their rebellion is great,
and their sins are many.

7 “How can I pardon you?
For even your children have turned from me.
They have sworn by gods that are not gods at all!
I fed my people until they were full.
But they thanked me by committing adultery
and lining up at the brothels.
8 They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
each neighing for his neighbor’s wife.
9 Should I not punish them for this?” says the Lord.
“Should I not avenge myself against such a nation?

"Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?" The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, "This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you." Daniel 4:30-31

Psalm 70 ~ Let God be exalted

Jewish Library, Citadel of David, Israel - Archaeologists digging at the biblical home of Goliath have unearthed a shard of pottery bearing the Philistine's name, lending credence to the Biblical tale of David's battle.

Two non-Semitic names appear on the shard (Alwt and Wlt), and after a careful examination, some archaeology experts “concluded that the two names which appear in the inscription are remarkably similar to the etymological parallels of Goliath,” which itself is a non-Semitic name. The letters are Semitic, but the names come from a language of Indo-European origin, the language family that encompasses ancient Greek and other related languages. Most scholars believe that the Philistines migrated from somewhere in the Aegean region near Greece to ancient Israel, bringing some of the Aegean culture with them. Over time, the Philistine culture became infused with the cultures of their neighbors, while still keep some aspects of their Aegean culture. This discovery, with Semitic letters and Indo-European names, may prove this theory to be true.

According to Professor Aren Maeir, Chairman of Bar-Ilan University's Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology, “...this (inscription) appears to provide evidence that the biblical story of Goliath is, in fact, based on a clear cultural reality from, more or less, the time which is depicted in the biblical text, and recent attempts to claim that Goliath can only be understood in the context of later phases of the Iron Age are unwarranted.”

The shard dates to about 950BC, within 70 years of when biblical chronology says David squared off against Goliath, making it the oldest Philistine inscription found.

Psalm 70 ( Psalm of David)

1 Hasten, O God, to save me;
O LORD, come quickly to help me.

2 May those who seek my life
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
be turned back in disgrace.

3 May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!"
turn back because of their shame.

4 But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation always say,
"Let God be exalted!"

5 Yet I am poor and needy;
come quickly to me, O God.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O LORD, do not delay.

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Psalm 72 ~ Their blood will be precious in his sight

My son's childhood friend was killed in Iraq over the weekend, at the age of 19. Many years of swimming & hide and seek games that teenage boys proudly call 'commandos'. This was a nice, young man who was & is a Christian. He was supposed to have been home this week on leave, but gave up his leave for his new army buddy, with a newborn baby. His mother was the Children's Minister at their Church. This is the family's eldest son of 2 boys. The brothers were very close; they were home schooled. Please pray for the family. The neighbors have put flags in every drive way and 3 flags at the entrance of the cul de sac.

Psalm 72

1 Give the king Your judgments, O God,
And Your righteousness to the king's son.
2 May he judge Your people with righteousness
And Your afflicted with justice.
3 Let the mountains bring peace to the people,
And the hills, in righteousness.
4 May he vindicate the afflicted of the people,
Save the children of the needy
And crush the oppressor.
5 Let them fear You while the sun endures,
And as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
6 May he come down like rain upon the mown grass,
Like showers that water the earth.

7 In his days may the righteous flourish,
And abundance of peace till the moon is no more.
8 May he also rule from sea to sea
And from the River to the ends of the earth.
9 Let the nomads of the desert bow before him,
And his enemies lick the dust.
10 Let the kings of Tarshish and of the islands bring presents;
The kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.
11 And let all kings bow down before him,
All nations serve him.

12 For he will deliver the needy when he cries for help,
The afflicted also, and him who has no helper.
13 He will have compassion on the poor and needy,
And the lives of the needy he will save.
14 He will rescue their life from oppression and violence,
And their blood will be precious in his sight;
15 So may he live, and may the gold of Sheba be given to him;
And let them pray for him continually;
Let them bless him all day long.

16 May there be abundance of grain in the earth on top of the mountains;
Its fruit will wave like the cedars of Lebanon;
And may those from the city flourish like vegetation of the earth.
17 May his name endure forever;
May his name increase as long as the sun shines;
And let men bless themselves by him;
Let all nations call him blessed.
18 Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel,
Who alone works wonders.
19And blessed be His glorious name forever;
And may the whole earth be filled with His glory
Amen, and Amen.
20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

Matthew 3: 2-3
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

“ The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘ Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.”

John 15:13
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Luke 23:43

43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

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Jeremiah 2:1-13 ~ Servant's first fruit

Jeremiah, like all servants of God, had co-workers who contributed to his work and shared his hardship. Scripture tells of one companion named Baruch, the son of Neriah, his friend, co-worker and scribe in these difficult years. Jeremiah relied upon Baruch to read the very unpopular prophesies in public when Jeremiah was prevented. Baruch was faithful when warned, seized or imprisoned.

The three lines on the Baruch bulla (or stamp) read: “(Belonging) to Berekhyahu, the son of Neriyahu, the scribe.” The suffix -yahu was a common epithet attached to names in Judah, meaning, “blessed of Jehovah.” While translations sometimes render it “-iah” (cf. Baruch’s father Ner-iah), some texts drop it altogether.2 The bulla is now displayed in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 2:1-13

1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:
" 'I remember the devotion of your youth,
how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the desert,
through a land not sown.
3 Israel was holy to the LORD,
the first fruits of his harvest;
all who devoured her were held guilty,
and disaster overtook them,' "
declares the LORD.

4 Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob,
all you clans of the house of Israel.

5 This is what the LORD says:
"What fault did your fathers find in me,
that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols
and became worthless themselves.

6 They did not ask, 'Where is the LORD,
who brought us up out of Egypt
and led us through the barren wilderness,
through a land of deserts and rifts,
a land of drought and darkness,
a land where no one travels and no one lives?'

7 I brought you into a fertile land
to eat its fruit and rich produce.
But you came and defiled my land
and made my inheritance detestable.

8 The priests did not ask,
'Where is the LORD ?'
Those who deal with the law did not know me;
the leaders rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
following worthless idols.

9 "Therefore I bring charges against you again,"
declares the LORD.
"And I will bring charges against your children's children.

10 Cross over to the coasts of Kittim and look,
send to Kedar and observe closely;
see if there has ever been anything like this:

11 Has a nation ever changed its gods?
(Yet they are not gods at all.)
But my people have exchanged their Glory
for worthless idols.

12 Be appalled at this, O heavens,
and shudder with great horror,"
declares the LORD.

13 "My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Romans 1 ~ Prayer, God's Open Door Policy

I Corinthians 10:31 it is written:
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.


Romans 1
1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 6And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome.

Luke 18:1, Jesus says:
"And He told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart."

Luke 18: 6. The Lord said, ``Listen to what the bad judge said.7. God's chosen people cry out to Him night and day. God will always give them what is right; He will not be slow to answer His people. 8. I am telling you, God will soon help His people! Nevertheless, when I come again, will I find people on earth who believe in me?''

Psalms 91:15-16:
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.

John 14: 13 "Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
15 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper,to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."

Mark 11:24, Jesus explains:
Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you received them, and you will have them.

James 1:6-8:
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

James 4:3:
"You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures."

Philippians, chapter 4 verse 6, advises:
Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God.

James 5:14-15 explains:
Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.

Mathew 6:7-8, it is written:
``Don't recite the same prayer over and over as the heathen do, who think prayers are answered only by repeating them again and again. Remember, your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him."

Psalms 55:17:
Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

Luke 17: 5-6:
The Apostles said to the Lord, "increase our faith!" The Lord replied, "if you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, be uprooted and planted in the sea", and it would obey you.

Romans 8:26:
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.


Prayer assures the protection of the Lord Almighty. As a weapon given by God and Jesus Christ prayer has proved quite effective and powerful.


Philippians 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,to the glory of God the Father.11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.


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Psalm 40 ~ I delight to do Your will

Psalm 40

1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.

2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.

4 Blessed is the man
who makes the LORD his trust,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to falsehood.

5 Many, O LORD my God,
are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
they would be too many to declare.

6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but my ears you have pierced;
burnt offerings and sin offerings
you did not require.

7 Then I said, "Here I am, I have come—
it is written about me in the scroll.
8 I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart."

9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;
I do not seal my lips,
as you know, O LORD.

10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.
I do not conceal your love and your truth
from the great assembly.

11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD;
may your love and your truth always protect me.

12 For troubles without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails within me.

13 Be pleased, O LORD, to save me;
O LORD, come quickly to help me.

14 May all who seek to take my life
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
be turned back in disgrace.

15 May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!"
be appalled at their own shame.

16 But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation always say,
"The LORD be exalted!"

17 Yet I am poor and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O my God, do not delay.

Luke 2: 25-32
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.

30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,

31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people,

32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."

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Psalm 19 ~ Forgiveness

Psalm 19

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
3 They have no speech, there are no words; / no sound is heard from them
4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.


John 8
1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them.
3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court,
4 they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act.
5 "Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?"
6 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground.
7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court.
10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?"
11She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more."

Psalm 49 ~ Abundance

Jesus Painting Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M4_IlbaZHA (Thanks Jane!)


Psalm 49

Hear this, all you peoples! Give ear, all who inhabit the world,
You of lowly birth or high estate, rich and poor alike.
My mouth shall speak wisdom, my heart shall offer insight.
I will turn my attention to a problem, expound my question to the music of a lyre.

Why should I fear in evil days, when my wicked pursuers ring me round,
Those who trust in their wealth and boast of their abundant riches?
One cannot redeem oneself, pay to God a ransom.
Too high the price to redeem a life; one would never have enough

To stay alive forever and never see the pit.
Anyone can see that the wisest die, the fool and the senseless pass away too,
and must leave their wealth to others.
Tombs are their homes forever, their dwellings through all generations,
though they gave their names to their lands. For all their riches mortals do not abide;
they perish like the beasts.

This is the destiny of those who trust in folly, the end of those so pleased with their wealth.
Selah ~ Like sheep they are herded into Sheol, where death will be their shepherd.
Straight to the grave they descend, where their form will waste away,
Sheol will be their palace.

But God will redeem my life, will take me from the power of Sheol. Selah
Do not fear when others become rich, when the wealth of their houses grows great.

When they die they will take nothing with them, their wealth will not follow them down.
When living, they congratulate themselves and say: "All praise you, you do so well."
But they will join the company of their forebears, never again to see the light.
For all their riches, if mortals do not have wisdom, they perish like the beasts.


Luke 12: 19-21

19 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."'
20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?'
21 "So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

Deuteronomy 9:4-12 ~ For Days will come upon you

The Arch of Titus, circa 81 A.D., depicts the triumphal procession showing Rome that Titus captured Jerusalem in 70 AD. The Roman troops worked for a long time to destroy all buildings. In the carving, there are temple vessels: the Menorah (menorahs were used by Moses in the Holy Place to symbolize light), the table of the showbread (declaring that sustenance can only come from God). The golden trumpets were heard throughout the city on Holy Days.

The destruction of the Second Temple is an important event in the history of the Jewish people, and one of the most depressing. It is a sign that God has withdrawn from (though not abandoned) the Jews. 70 AD is the time when Jesus would have passed away from natural causes. On the night of May 14, 1948, when Israel was declared a state, the Jews of Rome had a triumphant parade and marched under the arch.

It is interesting to note that in 2004, Israeli President, Moshe Katzav, asked the Vatican to reveal lists of Temple treasures and Judaica held by them. Eye witnesses have reported seeing the holy golden Menorah as well as the other vessels. He presented the Vatican with the results of historical research.

Deuteronomy 9:4-12

4 After the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, "The LORD has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness." No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is going to drive them out before you. 5 It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 6 Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.

7 Remember this and never forget how you provoked the LORD your God to anger in the desert. From the day you left Egypt until you arrived here, you have been rebellious against the LORD. 8 At Horeb you aroused the LORD's wrath so that he was angry enough to destroy you. 9 When I went up on the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant that the LORD had made with you, I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water. 10 The LORD gave me two stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God. On them were all the commandments the LORD proclaimed to you on the mountain out of the fire, on the day of the assembly.

11 At the end of the forty days and forty nights, the LORD gave me the two stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant. 12 Then the LORD told me, "Go down from here at once, because your people whom you brought out of Egypt have become corrupt. They have turned away quickly from what I commanded them and have made a cast idol for themselves."

Luke 19:41-44
"If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

Hebrews 2: 11-18 ~ Jesus, fully human to save us from death

Hebrews 2:11-18

11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. 12 He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises."[a] 13 And again, "I will put my trust in him."[b] And again he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me."[c]

14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for[d]the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Footnotes:
a. Hebrews 2:12 Psalm 22:22
b.Hebrews 2:13 Isaiah 8:17
c.Hebrews 2:13 Isaiah 8:18
d.Hebrews 2:17 Or and that he might turn aside God's wrath, taking away

The purpose of the daily liturgy is to read the bible in two years. The links provided are to read the other passages. <><
http://scripture-for-today.blogspot.com
http://www.crivoice.org/epiphany1.html
http://www.biblegateway.com/

Psalm 42 ~ Where can I go & see the face of God

A source of the Jordan River, the Banias, originates from a fountain at the base of a lofty limestone cliff beside the ruins of ancient Banias. Banias Falls at the Herman Nature Reserve, site of the New Testament city of Caesarea Philippi.

Psalm 42

1
As the deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for you, O God.
3
My being thirsts for God, the living God. When can I go and see the face of God?
4
My tears have been my food day and night, as they ask daily, "Where is your God?"
5
Those times I recall as I pour out my soul, When I went in procession with the crowd, I went with them to the house of God, Amid loud cries of thanksgiving, with the multitude keeping festival.
6
Why are you downcast, my soul; why do you groan within me? Wait for God, whom I shall praise again, my savior and my God.
7
My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan and Hermon, from the land of Mount Mizar.
8
Here deep calls to deep in the roar of your torrents. All your waves and breakers sweep over me.
9
At dawn may the LORD bestow faithful love that I may sing praise through the night, praise to the God of my life.
10
I say to God, "My rock, why do you forget me? Why must I go about mourning with the enemy oppressing me?"
11
It shatters my bones, when my adversaries reproach me. They say to me daily: "Where is your God?"
12
Why are you downcast, my soul, why do you groan within me? Wait for God, whom I shall praise again, my savior and my God.

Titus 2 ~ Model for a teacher

The synagogue is on the shore of the Sea of Galilee at the ancient fishing village of Capernaum. It’s here where Jesus taught “as one who had authority, and not as the scribes” (Mark 1:21).

Titus, chapter 2

1: But as for you, teach what befits sound doctrine. 2: Bid the older men be temperate, serious, sensible, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3: Bid the older women likewise to be reverent in behavior, not to be slanderers or slaves to drink; they are to teach what is good, 4: and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5: to be sensible, chaste, domestic, kind, and submissive to their husbands, that the word of God may not be discredited. 6: Likewise urge the younger men to control themselves.

7: Show yourself in all respects a model of good deeds, and in your teaching show integrity, gravity, 8: and sound speech that cannot be censured, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us.

9: Bid slaves to be submissive to their masters and to give satisfaction in every respect; they are not to be refractory, 10: nor to pilfer, but to show entire and true fidelity, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

11: For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, 12: training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, 13: awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14: who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds. 15: Declare these things; exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

The purpose of the daily liturgy is to read the bible in two years. The links provided are to read the other passages. <><

http://scripture-for-today.blogspot.com/

http://www.crivoice.org/epiphany1.html

http://www.biblegateway.com/