Matthew 9:9-13 ~ His disciples

- 16th Century, Flemish Renaissance Painter. Jan Sanders van Hemessen specialized in scenes of human character, normally religious scenes. His style helped found the Flemish traditions of genre painting.

Painters specializing in portraying scenes from the bible have offered God a powerful tool of worship with their lives. They put hours into making the bible come to life.

Matthew 9:9-13

9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”


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Mark 4 ~ seeds on earth

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

Sometimes we, the followers of Jesus Christ, are the seeds.

Who are we called to? The people who seek God.

Acts 17: 22
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.


Pilgrims to Israel: viewing the Holy Land by boat on the Sea of Galilee

Mark 4

1 Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2 And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” 9 And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that

“they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.”

13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

21 And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? 22 For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. 25 For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28 The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34 He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

~ Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey him?

Psalm 33:6-9 (King James Version)

6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

This is why we are the seeds on earth. Jesus Christ the way, the truth, the life.

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Psalm 1 ~ Blessed

The sermon for Ash Wednesday found Starbuck's poster of a large tree that says: the deeper the root, the farther the reach. Psalm 1 also says this; with God all things are possible. Lent's season reminds us that although we have weaknesses, flaws and sins, God gave us His Son. Jesus knew all about our human nature, but He chose to give us the gift of eternal life in His kingdom. God makes the impossible, possible ~ perishable and weak becomes eternal and cherished.

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the man [1]
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law [2] of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

Footnotes
[1] 1:1 The singular Hebrew word for man (ish) is used here to portray a representative example of a godly person; see preface
[2] 1:2 Or instruction

Mark 2 ~ Many were gathered together

From the movie, 'Jesus of Nazareth'.

Today is the beginning of Lent, Ash Wednesday.

Mark.2

[1] And when he returned to Caper'na-um after some days, it was reported that he was at home.
[2] And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even about the door; and he was preaching the word to them.
[3] And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
[4] And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and when they had made an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic lay.
[5] And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "My son, your sins are forgiven."
[6] Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts,
[7] "Why does this man speak thus? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
[8] And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you question thus in your hearts?
[9] Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, `Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, `Rise, take up your pallet and walk'?
[10] But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" -- he said to the paralytic --
[11] "I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home."
[12] And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"
[13]
He went out again beside the sea; and all the crowd gathered about him, and he taught them.

[14] And as he passed on, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him.
[15]
And as he sat at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were sitting with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him.

[16] And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
[17] And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

[18]
Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"
[19] And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
[20] The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.
[21] No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; if he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made.
[22] And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but new wine is for fresh skins."

[23] One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain.
[24] And the Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?"
[25] And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him:
[26] how he entered the house of God, when Abi'athar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?"
[27] And he said to them, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath;
[28] so the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath."

The Synagogue of Capernaum. An Aramaic inscription on one of the broken columns records the name of the donor, "Halfu, son of Zebida". These names in the Greek form (Alphaeus and Zebedee) are mentioned in the New Testament. Jesus Christ's Disciples, James and John, were sons of Zebedee. The New Testament calls them "sons of Thunder".

Miracles in Capernaum listed in the Gospels:

1. Dead daughter of Jairus raised (Mark 5:22; Luke 8:41)
2. Drove evil spirit from a man in the synagogue (Mark 1:21-28)
3. Paralyzed man let down through the roof and healed (Mark 2:1-12)
4. Jesus caused four disciples to catch fish in a miraculous way (Luke 5:1-11)
5. Through a fish, Jesus supplied tribute tax money needed (Matthew 17:24-27)
6. Healing of the centurion's servant afflicted with palsy (Matt. 8:5-13)
7. Healing of nobleman' son in the King's court (Herod Antipas) (John 4:46-54)
8. Healing many other people and casting out demons, as "all the city was gathered together at the door" (Mark 1:29-34)

Psalm 67 ~ May the peoples praise you, O God

When the Lord gave us Psalm 67, He gave us a tool to pray for others and ourselves. As Psalm 67 is read, we can place the name of the person, or church, prayed for in "us & you". May the Lord bless and strengthen the churches proclaiming Jesus Christ. May the faith, hope and love of the Word of God go out to the ends of the earth.

Psalm 67

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine upon us,
Selah
2 that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.

3 May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you.

4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples justly
and guide the nations of the earth.
Selah

5 May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you.

6 Then the land will yield its harvest,
and God, our God, will bless us.

7 God will bless us,
and all the ends of the earth will fear him.

Anglican Missions in America, Winter Conference 2008 ~ Proclaiming that God Reigns, Jesus Christ has saved us in grace.

Mark 5:1-20 ~ all men marveled

Jesus reminds us "how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." This crowd of people gathered in the Philippines in 2008 to: go barefoot as a sign of humility, to take up one's cross and trials in life in imitation of Christ, remember a healing from Jesus, remember tragedies avoided by the grace of the Lord & remember the blessings of life given by Jesus.

Mark 5:-20

[1]
They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Ger'asenes.

[2] And when he had come out of the boat, there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
[3] who lived among the tombs; and no one could bind him any more, even with a chain;
[4] for he had often been bound with fetters and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the fetters he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him.
[5] Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out, and bruising himself with stones.
[6] And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped him;
[7] and crying out with a loud voice, he said, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me."
[8] For he had said to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!"
[9] And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "My name is Legion; for we are many."
[10] And he begged him eagerly not to send them out of the country.
[11] Now a great herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside;
[12] and they begged him, "Send us to the swine, let us enter them."
[13] So he gave them leave. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea.
[14]
The herdsmen fled, and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened.

[15] And they came to Jesus, and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the man who had had the legion; and they were afraid.
[16] And those who had seen it told what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine.
[17] And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their neighborhood.
[18] And as he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him.
[19] But he refused, and said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you."
[20] And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decap'olis how much Jesus had done for him; and all men marveled.

Psalm 24 ~ come in

Basilica St. Peter & St. Paul, Prague

Psalm 24 (New King James Version)

1 The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
2 For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the waters.

3 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive blessing from the LORD,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face. Selah

7 Lift up your heads, O you gates!
And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
The LORD mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Lift up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah

Mark 4:26-34 ~ When planted

Mount Sinai, a tree between two boulders.

Mark 4:26-34

26 He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come."

30 Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade."
33 With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. 34 He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

Exodus 33:22
and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by

Exodus 33:11
The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

12 Moses said to the LORD, "You have been telling me, 'Lead these people,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, 'I know you by name and you have found favor with me.' 13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people."

14 The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."


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Psalms 56, 57 ~ I shall not be afraid

David, beloved and annointed by God, had many changes in his long life.

Psalm 56

1 Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;
all day long an attacker oppresses me;
2 my enemies trample on me all day long,
for many attack me proudly.
3 When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me?

5 All day long they injure my cause; [2]
all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They stir up strife, they lurk;
they watch my steps,
as they have waited for my life.
7 For their crime will they escape?
In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!

8 You have kept count of my tossings; [3]
put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book?
9 Then my enemies will turn back
in the day when I call.
This I know, that [4] God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?

12 I must perform my vows to you, O God;
I will render thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered my soul from death,
yes, my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.

Footnotes
[1] 56:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
[2] 56:5 Or they twist my words
[3] 56:8 Or wanderings
[4] 56:9 Or because


Psalm 57

57:1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
till the storms of destruction pass by.
2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
3 He will send from heaven and save me;
he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah
God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!

4 My soul is in the midst of lions;
I lie down amid fiery beasts—
the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.

5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!

6 They set a net for my steps;
my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way,
but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
7 My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
8 Awake, my glory! [2]
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
9 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
10 For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!

Footnotes
[1] 57:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
[2] 57:8 Or my whole being

Judges 7:12-22 ~

Bible card, "Coprighted 1907 by Providence Lithograph Co." Unknown artist.

Judges 7:12-22 (New International Version)

12 The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.

13 Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. "I had a dream," he was saying. "A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed."

14 His friend responded, "This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands."

15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped God. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, "Get up! The LORD has given the Midianite camp into your hands." 16 Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside.

17 "Watch me," he told them. "Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, 'For the LORD and for Gideon.' "

19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" 21 While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.

22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.



Deuteronomy 20:4
For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.

Joshua 10:10
The LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great victory at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon and cut them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah.

Judges 12:3
When I saw that you wouldn't help, I took my life in my hands and crossed over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave me the victory over them. Now why have you come up today to fight me?

1 Samuel 19:5
He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The LORD won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?

2 Samuel 22:36
You give me your shield of victory; you stoop down to make me great.

2 Kings 13:17
"Open the east window," he said, and he opened it. "Shoot!" Elisha said, and he shot. "The LORD's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!" Elisha declared. "You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek."

Job 12:16
To him belong strength and victory; both deceived and deceiver are his.

Psalm 44:6
I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory;

Psalm 118:15
Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: "The LORD's right hand has done mighty things!"

Proverbs 2:7
He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,

Matthew 12:20
A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory.

1 Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 John 5:4
for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

To be included in daily emails, please email holdenll@hotmail.com “All Scripture is inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). Men “moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:21). The Holy Spirit carried men along, moving and guiding them as they wrote in their own words what God wanted them to say. The Bible is unique; comprised of 80 separate books (created by the Nicene Council in 325 A.D.), & written over a period of thousands of years by more than 40 writers with one Author, spanning the centuries, different states of peace & war & different situations in life. The Bible answers the question: of who is God, who is man & what can their relationship can be. Although the Bible was written on perishable material and copied by hand for many centuries, its accuracy is not in doubt, proven by Dead Sea Scrolls and papyrus from 2,000 years. The Bible has survived persecution & criticism to be read with great interest in each generation. The Bible gives witness to the greatness of the Creator. A loving Father concerned for all of his creation. With each verse of the bible witnessing to God is love and the multitude & vastness of His attributes. The Bible was written for you. <><

Mark 3:31-35 ~ they

Joseph's brothers by French painter Emile-Jean-Horace Vernet in 1853

Mark 3:31-35

31 And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” 33 And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”


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Judges 6:11-24 ~ his son Gideon

Painting by Gideon Rubin.

Judges 6:11-24 (New Revised Standard Version)

Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Midianites. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, "The Lord is with you, you mighty warrior." Gideon answered him, "But sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our ancestors recounted to us, saying, 'Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?' But now the Lord has cast us off, and given us into the hand of Midian." Then the Lord turned to him and said, "Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian; I hereby commission you." He responded, "But sir, how can I deliver Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." The Lord said to him, "But I will be with you, and you shall strike down the Midianites, every one of them." Then he said to him, "If now I have found favor with you, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. Do not depart from here until I come to you, and bring out my present, and set it before you." And he said, "I will stay until you return."

So Gideon went into his house and prepared a kid, and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour; the meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the oak and presented them. The angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour out the broth." And he did so. Then the angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight. Then Gideon perceived that it was the angel of the Lord; and Gideon said, "Help me, Lord God! For I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face." But the Lord said to him, "Peace be to you; do not fear, you shall not die." Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it, The Lord is peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.

Gideon felt anonymous and weak. God saw Gideon as he would become with God's help. God sees the potential in us, He wants to be our Father.

2 Samuel 2: 36 All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them. 37 So on that day all the people and all Israel knew that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner.

38 Then the king said to his men, "Do you not realize that a prince and a great man has fallen in Israel this day? 39 And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!"


Nehemiah 6:9
They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed." But I prayed, "Now strengthen my hands."


Psalm 6:7
My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.

Psalm 10:2
In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises.

Psalm 34:10
The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

Psalm 41:1
[ For the director of music. A psalm of David. ] Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble.

Psalm 72:13
He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death.

Psalm 82:3, 4
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

Isaiah 40:29
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Ezekiel 34:4
You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.

Joel 3:10
Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, "I am strong!"

Acts 20:35
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "

Romans 8:26
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

1 Corinthians 1:27
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

1 Corinthians 4:10
We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!

1 Corinthians 8:9
Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.

1 Corinthians 11: 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

1 Corinthians 12:22
On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,

Galatians 4:9
But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

2 Timothy 3:6
They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,

2 Corinthians 12:10
That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Psalm 27:1,4,13-14 ~ I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!

In our winter conference of 2008 in Dallas, Texas; people gathered from all over God's creation. 14 Archbishops from Africa, Asia, England and up to 1,700 to remind each other The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. One of the bishops has been a bishop born and raised in the United Kingdom and now is a missonary out of Africa, placed as a missionary back in England.

The blind see, the deaf hear and the poor have good news preached to them ~ this is a global community.

More photos available online for the conference - see the full sized slide show (be sure to click on VirtueOnline.org's Gallery)

The planners of the convention hoped for 20 or more people to show up interested in planning a new church, over six times that number showed up from different continents.

Psalm 27:1,4,13-14

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
4 One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.
13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; yea, wait for the LORD!

Matthew 22:35-46 ~ If David then call him Lord

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn - generally considered one of the greatest painters and in European art history and the most important in Dutch history. Rembrandt's greatest creative triumphs are exemplified especially in illustrations of scenes from the Bible.

This painting of Jesus with the Pharisees is in the National Gallery in London.

One of the professors of theology at our 2008 Winter Conference for AMIA, a brilliant & gifted man, told us that using the Greek, Hebrew & Aramaic translations sometimes point to the beautiful language more clearly seen in King James Version. It is a priviledge to see different translations of the bible. Perhaps Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn paintings remind us what is old is still beautiful today. Jesus Christ is a man defying circumstance & class barriers, some of his most devout followers in the Sanhedrin Council (Joseph of Arimathea & Nicodemus John 19 face Pilot to retreive Jesus' body), Jesus sees people by their heart & soul. Jesus exists not just in the wilderness, he preachs openly in the temple from the age of 12; Jesus faces high priests & kings with the dignity they deserve.


Matthew 22:35-46 (King James Version)

35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,

42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David.

43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,

44 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?

45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?

46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

Mark 16:15-18 ~ believes

Mark 16:15-18

15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Matthew 17: [Jesus] 20 He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

The Nicene Creed is an ecumenical Christian statement of faith. Created in 325 A. D., when Roman Emperor Constantine saw St. Andrew’s cross, the cross recognized as proclaiming a life of Christian service, and brought bishops of the Church of Jesus Christ (neither Catholic nor Protestant) from proclaiming their faith under penalty of law to recognizing the Church as religion of the mightiest Empire on the planet. Over 2,000 bishops from around the world participated in discussions to write the Nicene Creed:

I believe in one God the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not made, of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of the Father.
And He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; of His kingdom there shall be no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, Who proceedeth from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who spake by the prophets.
In one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church; I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins; I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come. Amen.

Galatians 5:22-26; 6:1-2 ~ bear one another's burdens

In photo.... Emerging Church!!



At the end of our Church service, we are given a blessing. Having a blessing is wonderful! Yet returning the given blessing, in silent prayer, to the Church & praying for "The Church of Jesus Christ" is even better! To have the blessings of the Lord- for the Church - to Do His work - is a necessary, powerful, life-changing, beautiful, blessed, Needed, Ongoing Work. Of His.

A world in need is best served by Jesus' Church! The Church needs to be prayed for in the power of the Holy Spirit. If you visualize this, wouldn't it be like one firework, multiplying, becoming a beautiful display of unending fireworks!!

Almost 2 decades ago, we were in a small group with a Church Junior Pastor, in his 20's, who was quite young; he spent a lot of his time telling the group about hard, unappreciated work. The work was a lot like janitorial and social services. He probably should have just told his confidants, not people in the congregation, but it is so difficult to do the Lord's work.

Remember to pray for the Church of the Lord!

Galatians 5:22-26; 6:1-2 (Revised Standard Version)

[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
[23] gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.
[24] And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
[25]
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
[26] Let us have no self-conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of one another.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Galatians 6
[1]
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Look to yourself, lest you too be tempted.

[2] Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

______________________


1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love ♥ !

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Mark 3:1-6 ~ A man

Sancta Veronica Ierosolymitana ~ The Vatican Museum declares this to be the oldest picture of Jesus. A Syrian text from Kamulia in Cappadocia from the 500s tells us that the image was "drawn out of the water" and "not painted by human hand."

It shows the bearded face of a man with side-curls (jewish peyoth), whose nose has been hit. The right cheek is swollen, the beard partly ripped off. The forehead and lips have on them hints of pink, suggesting freshly healed wounds. Inexplicable peace fills the gaze out of the wide open eyes. Amazement, astonishment, surprise. Gentle compassion. No despair, no pain, no wrath. It is like the face of a man who has just awakened to a new morning. His mouth is half open. Even his teeth are visible. If one had to give a precise phrase to the vowel and word the lips are forming, it would be just a soft "Abba."

Professor Donato Vittori of the University of Bari and Professor Giulio Fanti of the University of Padua have discovered, through microscopic examinations, that there is no trace of color or paint at all on the entire cloth.

Sister Blandina Paschalis Schlömer, a German Trappist nun, pharmacist and icon painter, discovered, years before, after painstaking comparisons of the image on the Manopello cloth and the face of the man depicted on the Shroud of Turin, that the two images were identical: that they were both displaying the very same person. Every detail of both faces was exactly congruent: the same size and shape, the same wounds. The one difference: on the Shroud, the wounds are still open. On the cloth of Manoppello, the wounds have closed.

The cloth is made of an undetermined material. Bycuss, material is produced from threads a certain kind of sea mussels (“pinna nobilis”) & the most costly fabric in the ancient world. Unspun, raw byssus -in the morning light, shines more finely than angel hair. The gold of the seas! Bycuss is found off of a small island of Sant'Antioco off the coast of Sardinia. The last weaver of bycuss says that this cloth, "It has the eyes of a lamb," she says and crosses herself. "And a lion." And then: "That is Byssus!" "Yet Byssus cannot be painted on. It is simply not possible. O Dio! O Dio mio (Oh God! Oh my God!")!"

Mark 3: 1-6 (Revised Standard Version)

[1]
Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand.


[2] And they watched him, to see whether he would heal him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him.
[3] And he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Come here."
[4] And he said to them, "Is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent.
[5] And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
[6] The Pharisees went out, and immediately held counsel with the Hero'di-ans against him, how to destroy him.

Jesus, as a man, received many different reactions to His divinity, being the Son of God:

Matthew 8: 26
He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

27 The men [disciples] were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"


Mark 2: 1
A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."


Mark 10: 13
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 16 And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.


Matthew 21: 42
Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:
" 'The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes'?


Luke 17:
12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"
14 When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.

15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

17 Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?


John 4: 25 The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."

26Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."



John 4:
39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.


John 8:8
The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

10When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.


John 8:14
When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Revelation 5:5
Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”



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Psalm 89:20-22, 27-28 ~ I will make him my firstborn son

Psalm 89:20-22, 27-28 (New Living Translation)

20 I have found my servant David.
I have anointed him with my holy oil.
21 I will steady him with my hand;
with my powerful arm I will make him strong.
22 His enemies will not defeat him,
nor will the wicked overpower him.

27 I will make him my firstborn son,
the mightiest king on earth.
28 I will love him and be kind to him forever;
my covenant with him will never end.


Isaiah 11:
1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD -

3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;

4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

5 Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

6 The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.

7 The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

8 The infant will play near the hole of the cobra,
and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest.

9 They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.


Matthew 27:37
Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Matthew 26:55
At that time Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me.

Matthew 26:63
But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God."

Matthew 26:64
"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

Matthew 28:
5The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

Mark 11:22
"Have faith in God," Jesus answered.

Mark 16:6
"Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.

Luke 23:34
Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

Luke 23:43
Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Luke 24:15
As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them;

Luke 24:36
[ Jesus Appears to the Disciples ] While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."

John 1:29
[ Jesus the Lamb of God ] The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

John 18:37
"You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

Comforting the chief mourner of Jesus:
John 19:26
When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son,"

John 20:12
and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

John 20:
"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15 "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."
16 Jesus said to her, "Mary."

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).

John 20: 30
30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

I Corinthians 15: 55 "Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?"
56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

We know the words of the Lord are true. The victory over death is complete in Jesus Christ. We believe that those who call upon His name and rely upon His grace have victory over death.


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Matthew 23 ~ blind guides

Judas and the Pharisees


Matthew 23 (New American Bible)
1
Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples,
2
saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
3
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice.
4
They tie up heavy burdens 3 (hard to carry) and lay them on people's shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them.
5
4 All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
6
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
7
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.'
8
As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.' You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
9
Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven.
10
Do not be called 'Master'; you have but one master, the Messiah.
11
The greatest among you must be your servant.
12
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the kingdom of heaven before human beings. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.
14
15
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves.
16
"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'If one swears by the temple, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.'
17
Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that made the gold sacred?
18
And you say, 'If one swears by the altar, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.'
19
You blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
20
One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it;
21
one who swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it;
22
one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it.
23
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. (But) these you should have done, without neglecting the others.
24
Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!
25
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.
26
Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.
27
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and every kind of filth.
28
Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.
29
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, 17 you hypocrites. You build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the memorials of the righteous,
30
and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets' blood.'
31
Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets;
32
now fill up what your ancestors measured out!
33
You serpents, you brood of vipers, how can you flee from the judgment of Gehenna?
34
Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and pursue from town to town,
35
so that there may come upon you all the righteous blood shed upon earth, from the righteous blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.
36
Amen, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
37
"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her young under her wings, but you were unwilling!
38
Behold, your house will be abandoned, desolate.
39
I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

Ecclesiastes 3

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.




Matthew 5

2 and he began to teach them saying:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Recently, our church ran a video clip for the New Year. It was appreciated by all ages, everyone commented & the sermon ran it again a couple of weeks later. It began as a typical church message, each person was well groomed and enthusiastic, each person was speaking of their goals in their church for the New Year: 1. This year, I will spend more on myself and tithe less, 2. This year, I will not share my faith with my roommate, 3. This year, I will be silent, even when I know I should speak up, 4. This year, I will shirk every leadership position. You get the idea and it was said with so much positive enthusiasm.

We all need to remember as we read these scriptures: sometimes we are the Pharisees, sometimes we are blind fools, sometimes we are just sheep, sometimes we do not discern what time it is, sometimes we are peacemakers when the time calls for war, sometimes it is a time to embrace.

Last night we watched a comedian discussing the difference between the Old Testament God and the New Testament God. Not really a difference, but mankind was prepared for the birth of Jesus, God allowed Jesus’ sacrifice to mend the gap of sin between God and mankind.

'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
Mark 6: 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.

Jesus Christ is the shepherd of our souls. We need to think about what we put into our lives and give value to, remember the season and seek the blessing.

2 Corinthians 4:6-15 ~

This is the story of two men who are Olympic runners...not to run... but to prove something to the world.

They will sacrifice anything to achieve their goals...Except their faith.


2 Corinthians 4:6-15 (King James Version)

6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

11 For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

The movie 'Chariots of Fire' explains this passage pretty well. These men were Olympic runners for England as Adolf Hitler gained in power. Hitler boasted of the superiority of his Arian Race athletes. It was a troubled time in the world, wars and rumors of war abounded. These men asked God to help them have strength showing that those resting in His strength would triumph. These men knew when their time on earth finished, they had fought the good fight. Just as they knew because the battle was His, they would rest in His rest. As these men passed on, they knew the world would keep revolving, but the battle is still His. More of God's men, would continue to to proclaim Him.