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Showing posts from February, 2015

Vau (vv. Ps. 119:41–48)—Walking and Talking

  Vau ( vv. Ps. 119:41–48 )—Walking and Talking We hear several voices in this section, and it begins with God speaking to us ( v. 41 ). He does this, of course, as we read His Word and meditate on it. He speaks in love and in mercy, and even the warnings come from His compassionate heart. The Word of God is the expression of the love of God to us ( 33:11 ) and it should result in love from our hearts to the Lord , to His people , and to the lost. God’s Word shares God’s promises , and promises always imply future hope. Scripture is “the word of his promise” ( 1 Kings 8:56 ), and all His promises have their realization in Jesus Christ ( 2 Cor. 1:20 ). The Scriptures are also “the word of this salvation” ( Acts 13:26 ), for the Word declares that Jesus is the only Savior and we can trust in Him . What a wonder that God has spoken to us! ( Heb. 1:1–2 ). Are we listening? But while God is speaking , the enemy is also speaking ( v. 42 ). We have learned that...
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Greeting and Prayer

Greeting  and  Prayer By: Sister Shirley Thomas Greetings saints, family, friends and enemies this blessed  Sabbath  (Hebrew)  Day  (7 th  day of the Jewish calendar), and 6 th day of the  Christ ian  calendar. Rejoice in the  Lord , O  you  righteous!  For  praise from the upright is beautiful. ( Psalm 33:1 ,  NKJV )  Today I ask for nothing, Father , I simply offer my praise to  You . Blessing and honor be unto  Your  holy name! I will praise  You , O  Lord  my  God , with all my heart. In  Jesus name  I commit my supplication. Have a lovely stress weekend. Go to the church of your choice on your  Sabbath .   Much love  to all.
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Mundy's Quote for the Day

Mundy's Quote for the Day By: Reverend Lynwood F. Mundy 4 Nicodemus said to  Him , “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5  Jesus  answered,  “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”   ( John 3:4-8 ,  NKJV )
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Catholic Lectionary

Catholic Lectionary SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015 | LENT SATURDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF LENT YEARS 1 & 2 | ROMAN MISSAL               First Reading       Deuteronomy 26:16–19               Response       Psalm 119:1b               Psalm       Psalm 119:1–2 , 4–5 , 7–8               Gospel Acclamation       2 Corinthians 6:2b               Gospel       Matthew 5:43–48 Catholic Lectionary . Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009. Print.
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The Episcopal Church. Book of Common Prayer Lectionary

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015 | LENT SATURDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK IN LENT YEAR 1               Psalms (Morning)       Psalm 55               Psalms (Evening)       Psalm 138 , 139:1–18 ( 19–24 )              Old Testament       Deuteronomy 11:18–28               New Testament       Hebrews 5:1–10               Gospel       John 4:1–26 The Episcopal Church. Book of Common Prayer Lectionary . Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010. Print.
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The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd ‎In biblical times, a shepherd’s main concern was the welfare of the flock. Providing the sheep with food and waters as well as guarding them from predators and thieves were primary responsibilities. Highlighting this relationship, Jesus says in the scripture , “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” ( John 10:11 )
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Interior of the Mosque El-Aksa

Interior of the Mosque El-Aksa ‎After a week spent in retirement in the neighborhood of the Lake of Galilee our Savior went up again to Jerusalem to attend the Passover , which took place, according to the Harmony we follow, between March 30th and April 5th, A. D. 28. On this particular visit to Jerusalem our Savior healed a man at the Pool of Bethesda. The Mosque of El-Aksa, which occupies a part of the place once allotted to the temple, is different in style and inferior in character to the Mosque of Omar. The edifice was originally founded by the Emperor Justinian about the middle of the sixth century, but has been much modified, no doubt, by Moslem architects, for it has been in ruins twice in consequence of earthquakes, and we may infer that but little of the original building now left can be considered strictly ancient. The interior is supported by forty-five columns, thirty-three of which are marble and twelve of common stone. Some of the windows are very good. Some...
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Epaphroditus

Epaphroditus Excerpt A Macedonian Christ ian from Philippi. There are no grounds for identifying him with Epaphras of  Col. 1:7 ;  4:12 , or  Phm. 23 . His name means ‘comely’ or ‘charming’ . Paul calls him your messenger ( hymōn apostolon ,  Phil. 2:25 ), where the word used is one more frequently translated elsewhere as ‘apostle’ . This does not mean that Epaphroditus held any office in the Philippian church; he was simply a messenger ( cf .   2 Cor. 8:23 ) who brought the gift from the church to Paul in prison at Rome. He became seriously ill, possibly as a result of over-exerting himself in journeying from Philippi to Rome, or in serving Paul at Rome. The  AV  says ‘he regarded not his life’ ( see  Phil. 2:30 ), but  RSV  more correctly ‘risking his life’ . The word used is  paraboleusamenos , ‘having gambled with his life’ , from  paraboleuesthai  ‘to throw down a stake, to make a venture’ .  Mor...
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Let Us Not Grow Weary

Let Us Not Grow Weary Excerpt But Christ ians may become discouraged with spiritual sowing because the harvest is often long in coming. In the face of this reality the apostle charged the Galatians  not  to  become weary  or  give up  because the  harvest  is sure. (Paul included himself as he no doubt contemplated his sometimes frustrating labors on behalf of the Galatian Christ ians .) The reaping will come at God’s  proper  time , which may be only in part in this life and in full in the life to come at the judgment seat of Christ .  More Campbell, Donald K. “ Galatians .”  The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures . Ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Vol. 2. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985. 610. Print.
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Tomb of Lazarus

Tomb of Lazarus ‎ Tradition locates the site of this celebrated event in the sepulchre to which we here see the opening. It is, of course, nothing but a tradition. The tomb is partly cut out of the rock and partly lined with masonry. It is sacred both to Christ ians and Moslems alike, and the strong probability is that the tomb is not very far away. There is something very impressive in the thought that it was here, within the sound of our voices, that Lazarus and Mary and Martha lived; the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair. When Lazarus was taken sick his sister sent to Jesus with the simple message: “Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, He said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” It was four days after the burial of Lazarus before Jesus reached Bethany, and it wa...
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The Wilderness

The Wilderness Exodus 3:1 Excerpt The wilderness  was not a wide, flat area of nothing but sand, as the word “desert” ( 3:1   TEV ) may imply. Rather it was a mostly dry and barren region through which Moses was leading the flock in search of seasonal pasturage. There would, however, be occasional patches of moisture and vegetation; but for the most part it was uncultivated. Nomads and their herds inhabited certain areas of the wilderness. In cultures where a wilderness is unknown, one may translate the term with a descriptive phrase; for example, “a dry, barren land,” “a rocky region,” “a place where people don’t settle,” “a place where no house is,” and so on. Translators may prefer to  borrow a term from a national language and explain it in a footnote.  More Osborn, Noel D., and Howard A. Hatton.   A Handbook on Exodus . New York: United Bible Societies, 1999. Print. UBS Handbook Series
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Bethany

Bethany Then Now ‎The small village Bethany is located 3 km to the east of Jerusalem, and east of the Mount of Olives. The Arabian name El-Azariye preserves the name of Lazarus. According to an old tradition, the tomb of Lazarus and the houses of Mary and Martha as well as of Simon the Leper are supposed to be among the ruins of the Crusade period visible in the background. ‎Matt 21:17 ; 26:6 ; Mark 11:1 , 11:11–12; 14:3 ; Luke 19:29; 24:50 ; John 11:1 , 11:18 ; 12:1
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Contrasting Outcomes

Contrasting Outcomes Excerpt “Blessings are upon the head of the righteous.” Either God rewards the righteous person with blessings, or others bestow their blessings upon him because of his righteousness. On the other hand, “the mouth of the wicked conceals violence,” i.e., so that he may wait for the opportunity of practicing violence. The idea is that the wicked plot the ruin of their neighbors and thus incur their curses instead of their blessings. The verse indicates the contrast between the manifest blessedness of the righteous and the sinister activities of the wicked.  More Smith, James E.  The Wisdom Literature and Psalms . Joplin, MO: College Press Pub. Co., 1996. Print. Old Testament Survey Series .
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Public Shame

Public Shame Hebrews 6:6 Excerpt Exposing him to public shame  means either (1) “holding him up as a warning to others,” (2) “causing others to look down on Christ ,” or (3) “causing others to ridicule Christ.” Here (2) or (3) fits the context better than (1). Criminals were exposed in this way by being crucified or otherwise punished in public.  More Ellingworth, Paul, and Eugene Albert Nida.  A Handbook on the Letter to the Hebrews . New York: United Bible Societies, 1994. Print. UBS Handbook Series .
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Mundy's Quote for the Day

Mundy's Quote for the Day Br: Reverend Lynwood F. Mundy The Outworking of Love 16 By this we know love, because  He  laid down  His life  for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of  God  abide in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before  Him . 20 For if our heart condemns us,  God  is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward  God . 22 And whatever we ask we receive from  Him , because we keep  His commandments  and do those things that are pleasing in  His sight . 23 And this is  His commandment : that we should believe on the name of  His...
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