DAILY, WEEKEND, AND HOLIDAY INTERNET EVANGELIZE TO THE WORLD MINISTRY

‎The Sun and the Moon The productions of this fourth day, the sun, and the moon with all their wonder and splendor are much insisted upon in the Bible narrative. In telling of them, the account of the creation for the first time pauses and goes into extended explanations: “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven, to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.” That is to say, a man from a very early period measured his days by the sunlight, his weeks and months by the changes of the moon, and his years by the shifting of the sun and stars. By them he knew the coming of spring and fall, and when to plant and when to reap his crops. They served as guides to travelers by land and sea. ‎“And God set them in the firmament of the heaven, to give light upon the earth, ‎“And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. ‎“And the e...

Icon of Luke Icon of Luke (nineteenth century AD) AUTHORSHIP, RECIPIENT(S), DATE The author of this Gospel also penned the book of Acts ( cf. Luke 1:1–4; Acts 1:1–3 ). These two books comprise almost one-third of the NT. Luke is not directly named as the author of this Gospel, but the early church attributed it as well as the book of Acts to him. The author of Acts included himself in the “we” passages of that book ( Acts 16:10–17; 20:5–15; 21:1–18; 27:1–28:16 ). According to these passages, the narrator was a companion of Paul. This harmonizes with other Scriptures in which Paul identified Luke as one of his coworkers ( Col. 4:14; 2 Tim. 4:11; Philem. 24 ). Luke accompanied Paul on a part of his second missionary journey ( Acts 16:10–17 ) and on his journey to Rome when the apostle experienced shipwreck on the island of Malta ( Acts 27–28 ). Even after some of the other missionaries deserted Paul, Luke remained at his side to minister to his needs ( 2 Tim. 4:1...

God Speaks to Cain Excerpt God is here reasoning with Cain, to convince him of the sin and folly of his anger and discontent, and to bring him into a good temper again, that further mischief might be prevented. It is an instance of God’s patience and condescending goodness that he would deal thus tenderly with so bad a man, in so bad an affair. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Thus,the father of the prodigal argued the case with the elder son ( Lu. 15:28 , etc. ), and God with those Israelites who said, The way of the Lord is not equal, Eze. 18:25 . Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994. Print.

Mosaic Floor, Sardis Synagogue

Loyalty and Faithfulness Proverbs 3:3 Excerpt Loyalty and faithfulness are a combination of qualities that occur in such passages as Gen 24:49; Exo 34:6; Deut 7:9 ; and Psa 25:10 and express the ideal relationship between people or between God and people. The two words overlap considerably in their meanings. In Gen 47:29 the word rendered loyalty (Hebrew chesed) is used for the relationship of Joseph to his father Jacob and in Exo 34:6 of the relationship of the Lord to his own people. An essential element in loyalty is love, and the word is sometimes translated as “love.” NJB says “faithful love.” Reyburn, William David, and Euan McG. Fry. A Handbook on Proverbs. New York: United Bible Societies, 2000. Print. UBS Handbook Series.

Ruined Brick Building, Ephesus

The Spirit on the Waters ‎The earth, as it first rose out of the void at God’s command, was a small huddled mass, a chaos of atoms heaped confusedly together. It was wholly unlike the world which smiles about man to-day, fixed in form, clothed with verdure, and teeming with busy life. The confused mass must at first have rolled onward amid an unspeakable tumult. Holy Writ is here enforced by science, which suggests a terrific picture of the awful battle between opposing elements. Tremendous explosions, fiery rains of white-hot liquid metal, vast clouds of vapor, stifling poison gases, enveloped all. ‎Profoundly impressive is the thought that God’s creative power was still active throughout this monstrous pandemonium. Every Titanic outburst was guided and directed toward His purpose. Of this, we have divine assurance in the second beautiful verse of the Bible narrative. The earth was formless, it was empty of life; darkness, profound darkness, covered its black deeps. Y...

May 31: Fighting Loneliness 1 Chronicles 28:1–29:2; 2 Timothy 4:9–22; Psalm 90:1–17 Loneliness is one of the most disheartening feelings a person can know. Being alone in a time of pain is even worse. Several recent surveys suggest that lonely people—especially teenagers—subtly reach out through their social networks, desperately looking for someone who cares. In a world where anyone can get attention online, we’ve moved away from the authentic community. We continue to crave personal interactions—perhaps more so because we have an electronic witness to the interactions of others. We as Christians should see this as an opportunity to reach out to disenfranchised, lonely people and show the love of Christ to others. Paul’s second letter to Timothy illustrates how feelings of loneliness are amplified by pain. He makes one of the most candid statements in the Bible : “At my first defense, no one came to my aid, but they all deserted me; may it not be counted against the...

Morning, May 31                                         Go To Evening Reading          “The king also himself passed over the brook Kidron.”          — 2 Samuel 15:23 David passed that gloomy brook when flying with his mourning company from his traitor son. The man after God’s own heart was not exempt from trouble, nay, and his life was full of it. He was both the Lord’s Anointed, and the Lord’s Afflicted. Why then should we expect to escape? At sorrow’s gates the noblest of our race have waited with ashes on their heads, wherefore then should we complain as though some strange thing had happened unto us? The KING of kings himself was not with a more cheerful or royal road. He passed over the filthy ditch of Kidron, through which the filth of Jerusalem flowed. God had one Son without sin, but not a single child without the ...

May 31st God first Put God First in Trust. Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, … for He knew what was in man. John 2:24–25 . Our Lord trusted no man; yet He was never suspicious, never bitter, never in despair about any man because He put God first in trust; He trusted absolutely in what God’s grace could do for any man. If I put my trust in human beings first, I will end in despairing of everyone; I will become bitter because I have insisted on man being what no man ever can be—absolutely right. Never trust anything but the grace of God in yourself or in anyone else. Put God’s Needs First. Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God. Hebrews 10:9 . A man’s obedience is to what he sees to be a need; Our Lord’s obedience was to the will of His Father. The cry to-day is—‘We must get some work to do; the heathen are dying without God; we must go and tell them of Him.’ We have to see first of all that God’s needs in us personally are being met. “Tarry ye until.…” The pur...

May 31   Without me,ye can do nothing.… I can do all things, through Christ which strengtheneth me         John 15:5; Phil. 4:13 Apart from Him, we can do nothing. Whilst we are abiding in Him nothing is impossible. The one purpose of our life should, therefore, be to remain in living and intense union with Christ, guarding against everything that would break it, employing every means of cementing and enlarging it. And just in proportion as we do so, we shall find His strength flowing into us for every possible emergency. We may not feel its presence; but we shall find it present whenever we begin to draw on it. There is no temptation which we cannot master; no privation which we cannot patiently bear; no difficulty with which we cannot cope; no work which we cannot perform; no confession or testimony which we cannot make, if only our souls are living in healthy union with Jesus Christ; for as our day or hour, so shall our strength be. F. B. Mey...

Hypocrisy Romans 12:9 Excerpt [Hypocrisy is] a term and idea that are primarily limited in the Bible to the NT writings. The Greek word transliterated into English as ‘hypocrite’ was used to denote an actor, one who performed behind a mask. The popular understanding came to be that of persons who pretended to be something that they were not. It is interesting to note, however, that hypocrisy does not appear to be so limited in meaning in the NT . The term can sometimes denote general wickedness or evil, self-righteousness, pretense, or breach of ‘contract.’ The best-known passage in the NT describing hypocrisy is Matthew /Matt.* 23:1*/23 , where self-righteousness and pretense are both in evidence ( cf . also Matt. 6:2, 5, 16; 7:5; 15:7; 22:18; 24:51; Mark 7:6; Luke 6:42; 12:56; 13:15 ). Achtemeier, Paul J., Harper & Row and Society of Biblical Literature. Harper’s Bible dictionary 1985 : 414. Print.

A Christian Girl of Nazareth, Palestine

Table of the Shortbread ‎Overlaid with pure gold, the table was first created to be used in the Tabernacle to hold the Bread of the Presence, also referred to as the Showbread. An important piece of furniture recreated for use in Solomon’s temple and again for the second temple, the Table of the Showbread may have been one of the Jewish treasures lost to the Romans during the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

Ruth the Moabitess Excerpt ‎Ruth’s story is cast against the backdrop of an ancient patriarchal culture, where a woman’s identity and security depended on her relationships with men (especially her father and/or husband). Her value as a wife and contributor to society was measured by counting her sons. Under these cultural standards, it is puzzling that a Gentile outsider like Ruth—who for most of the story is widowed, childless, and barren—became a luminary of biblical history. Yet she is unquestionably one of the most significant women in the Bible . ‎Ruth’s story forms a historical and theological bridge from the era of the judges ( Ruth 1:1 ), when the people of Israel did evil in God’s sight ( Judg 2:10–19 ), to Israel’s monarchy. In contrast to Israel’s unfaithfulness to God, Ruth embodies the courageous, sacrificial character that God’s image bearers are supposed to possess. Barry, John D. et al. Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2012. Print.

“A Child is Born” ‎ Eager to convince King Ahaz, Isaiah offered to show him a sign from God, to prove that their country would escape from the Samarian invasion. But Ahaz, fully resolved to seek Assyria’s mighty aid, protested with feigned humility that he would not trouble God for a sign. Then Isaiah proclaimed that despite the king there should be a sign, which he described in those mystic passages about the child “Immanuel.” These rise to an ecstasy of joy. “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light sinned.” The passages foretell not only the birth but the worship of the child. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. ‎“Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of Da...

Christian Symbol, Philippi ‎ A Christian symbol scratched in paving stone at Philippi—viewed as multiple crosses or a combination of all the Greek letters in “Ichthys,” a Greek acronym denoting “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior.”

Jerusalem ‎The Jews’ Wailing Place

May 30: In Season and Out of Season 1 Chronicles 26:1–27:34; 2 Timothy 4:1–8; Psalm 89:23–52 I like to operate when I feel like I’m in control. When I haven’t gathered enough information or I feel uncertain of my circumstances, it’s tempting to avoid making a decision or taking action. Paul knew that this type of outlook was detrimental to Timothy’s ministry. He tells Timothy that regardless of his circumstances, he was required to act: “Preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all patience and instruction” ( 2 Tim 4:2 ). Paul uses the certainty of Christ’s return to motivate Timothy to stick to his task ( 2 Tim 4:1 ). Although Timothy experienced times when it was not always convenient for him to act on his calling, he had been admonished by Paul about the importance of the work they were doing together: their calling. He also knew the urgency of that calling. Christ’s return and the appearance of His kingdom motivate ( 2 Tim ...

Morning, May 30                                         Go To Evening Reading          “Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines.”          — Song of Solomon 2:15 A little thorn may cause much suffering. A little cloud may hide the sun. Little foxes spoil the vines; and sins create mischief to the tender heart. These little sins burrow in the soul and make it so full of that which is hateful to Christ, that he will hold no comfortable fellowship and communion with us. A great sin cannot destroy a Christian, but a little sin can make him miserable. Jesus will not walk with his people unless they drive out every known sin. He says, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.” Some Christians very seldom enjoy their Saviour’s pre...

May 30th “Yes—But …!” Lord, I will follow Thee; but … Luke 9:61 . Supposing God tells you to do something which is an enormous test of using your common sense, what are you going to do? Hang back? If you get into the habit of doing a thing in the physical domain, you will do it every time until you break the habit determinedly; and the same is true spiritually. Again, and again, you will get up to what Jesus Christ wants, and every time you will turn back when it comes to the point until you abandon resolutely. ‘Yes, but—supposing I do obey God in this matter, what about …?’ ‘Yes, I will obey God if He will let me use my common sense, but don’t ask me to take a step in the dark.’ Jesus Christ demands of the man who trusts Him the same reckless sporting spirit that the natural man exhibits. If a man is going to do anything worthwhile, there are times when he has to risk everything on his leap. And in the spiritual domain, Jesus Christ demands that you risk everything...

May 30   Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid         Matt. 5:14 Lamps do not talk, but they do shine. A lighthouse sounds no drum, it beats no gong; and yet far over the waters, its friendly spark is seen by the mariner. So let your actions shine out your religion. Let the main sermon of your life be illustrated by all your conduct. Spurgeon Hardman, Samuel G., and Dwight Lyman Moody. Thoughts for the Quiet Hour. Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997. Print.

Lesson for May 29, 2016: Joyous Faith ( Luke 19:1–10 ) _________________________________________________________________ Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson . Scott teaches  preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri, and has held preaching ministries in Missouri, Illinois, and Colorado . This lesson treatment is published in the May 22 issue of  The Lookout  magazine, and is also available online at  www.lookoutmag.com . ______ By Mark Scott  “The gospel is for sellouts.” That is how our oldest son, Casey, began his senior sermon in Bible College chapel. His text was the story of Zacchaeus. He turned the message in two directions: first Zacchaeus was a sellout to Rome, and second Zacchaeus was a sellout to Jesus. This is one of the most well-known stories in the Gospels. It is the final personal encounter that Jesus has in the travel narrative (Luke 9:51–19:28). Some ...

SUNDAY, MAY 29, 2016 | PENTECOST SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST YEAR C               Old Testament       1 Kings 8:22, 23, 41–43               Old Testament       Joshua 5:13–6:5, 6:20 ( Supplemental )              Psalm       Psalm 100              Psalm       Psalm 142 ( Supplemental )               New Testament       Galatians 1:1–10               New Testament       James 1:2–12 ( Supplemental )               Gospel       Luke 7:1–10 Christian Worship Three Year Lectionary (with Supplemental Lectionary). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009. Print.

SUNDAY, MAY 29, 2016 | AFTER PENTECOST PROPER 4 YEAR C               Old Testament       1 Kings 18:20–39              Psalm       Psalm 96 (UMH 815)               New Testament       Galatians 1:1–12               Gospel       Luke 7:1–10 Vanderbilt Divinity Library. United Methodist Revised Common Lectionary. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009. Print.

SUNDAY, MAY 29, 2016 | ORDINARY TIME BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST In dioceses where The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ is observed on Sunday. YEAR C | ROMAN MISSAL On the same date: 9th Sunday in Ordinary Time               First Reading       Genesis 14:18–20               Response       Psalm 110:4b               Psalm       Psalm 110:1–4               Second Reading       1 Corinthians 11:23–26               Gospel Acclamation       John 6:51               Gospel       Luke 9:11b–17 Catholic Lectionary. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009. Print.

SUNDAY, MAY 29, 2016 | PENTECOST PROPER 4 YEAR C               Old Testament       1 Kings 8:22–24, 27–29, 41–43              Psalm       Psalm 96:1–9               Epistle       Galatians 1:1–12              Gospel       Luke 7:1–10 Lutheran Service Book Three Year Lectionary. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009. Print.

SUNDAY, MAY 29, 2016 | AFTER PENTECOST PROPER 4 YEAR C               Psalm       Psalm 96 or Psalm 96:1–9               First Reading       1 Kings 8:22–23, 27–30, 41–43              Second Reading       Galatians 1:1–10               Gospel       Luke 7:1–10 The Episcopal Church. Book of Common Prayer (1979) Sunday Lectionary. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010. Print.

May 29 Lesson 13 JOYOUS FAITH DEVOTIONAL READING: Isaiah 44:23–26 BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: Luke 19:1–10 LUKE 19:1–10 1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. 4 And he ran before and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house. 6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be [a]guest with a man that is a sinner. 8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken [anything] from any man by false accusation, I...

May 28: Through Despair 1 Chronicles 23:1–23:32; 2 Timothy 3:1–9; Psalm 88 Sometimes we go through dark periods in our lives where the misery feels never-ending. Trial hits, pain hits, and just when we think life might get “back to normal,” we are hit by yet another difficulty. At times like these, we may feel forgotten by God. In Psalm 88 , we find one of the most utter prolonged cries of despair: “O Yahweh, God of my salvation, I cry out by day and through the night before you,” the psalmist begins ( Psa 88:1 ). This psalm never climaxes or hints of hope, and it ends even more desperately than it begins. The psalmist, feeling abandoned by God, has his loved ones taken from him. He is left to navigate the darkness alone ( Psa 88:18 ). How do we deal with our own misery when confronted by a tragic psalm like this? How should we respond to God? We can start with what the psalmist, despite his prolonged suffering, acknowledges about God. Although his troubles are still presen...

Morning, May 28                                         Go To Evening Reading          “Whom he justified, them he also glorified.”          — Romans 8:30 Here is a precious truth for thee, believer. Thou mayest be poor, or in suffering, or unknown, but for thine encouragement take a review of thy “calling” and the consequences that flow from it, and especially that blessed result here spoken of. As surely as thou art God’s child today, so surely shall all thy trials soon be at an end, and thou shalt be rich to all the intents of bliss. Wait awhile, and that weary head shall wear the crown of glory, and that hand of labour shall grasp the palm-branch of victory. Lament not thy troubles, but rather rejoice that ere long thou wilt be where “there shall be neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain.” The ch...

May 28th Unquestioned revelation And in that day ye shall ask Me nothing. John 16:23 . When is “that day”? When the Ascended Lord makes you one with the Father. In that day you will be one with the Father as Jesus is, and “in that day,” Jesus says, “ye shall ask Me nothing.” Until the resurrection life of Jesus is manifested in you, you want to ask this and that; then after a while you find all questions gone, you do not seem to have any left to ask. You have come to the place of entire reliance on the resurrection life of Jesus which brings you into perfect contact with the purpose of God. Are you living that life now? If not, why shouldn’t you? There may be any number of things dark to your understanding, but they do not come in between your heart and God. “And in that day ye shall ask Me no question”—you do not need to, you are so certain that God will bring things out in accordance with His will. John 14:1 has become the real state of your heart, and there are n...

May 28   Him they compelled to bear his cross         Matt 27:32 There are many Christians of whom this is true. They are compelled to bear the cross, but how does it come? It comes by their running away from it. They make up their minds they won’t have Christ’s cross; and they find when the cross does come that it comes in a more terrible form, with a more crushing weight than ever it would have come had they only been content to submit themselves to the divine direction; for the cross has to come to all who are to be prepared for glory hereafter. W. Hay Aitken Hardman, Samuel G., and Dwight Lyman Moody. Thoughts for the Quiet Hour. Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997. Print.

Forum excavations

The Israelite Encampment ‎The Book of Numbers describes the layout of the encampment during Israel’s 40 years of wilderness wanderings ( 2:1–34 ). The tribes encamped around the tabernacle, both to stay close to the tent of meeting and to defend it against an attack. The four sides by four groups, led by Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan. The Levites—specially chosen to be close to God—camped around all sides of the tabernacle.

The wickedness of Man Excerpt Very much sin was committed in all places, by all sorts of people. Any one might see that the wickedness of man was great: but God saw that every imagination, or purpose, of the thoughts of man’s heart, was only evil continually. This was the bitter root, the corrupt spring. The heart was deceitful and desperately wicked; the principles were corrupt; the habits and dispositions evil. Their designs and devices were wicked. They did evil deliberately, contriving how to do mischief. There was no good among them. God saw man’s wickedness as one injured and wronged by it. Henry, Matthew, and Thomas Scott. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1997. Print.

Cairo from the Citadel ‎The Citadel of Cairo was built by Saladin in A. D. 1166. It was built of stone brought from the small pyramids of Gizeh. It formed a part of Saladin’s general plan for protecting the town from assault. In its selection, he showed a lack of wisdom, for the citadel is completely commanded by Mount Mokattam. The great ruler chose the spot because of the pure air since it was found, as a historian reports, that meat could be kept fresh at that high altitude twice as long as anywhere else in Cairo. The citadel itself is a small town with a palace built by Mohammed Ali, the mosque of Mohammed Ali, an older mosque built in the year 718 of the Hegira, and which was long the royal mosque of Cairo. From the citadel, a fine view is to be enjoyed. Just below are the arsenal, the Rumeleh—a beautiful public square, the fine mosque of Sultan Hassan, the numerous minarets of Cairo, the ancient windmills, the distant pyramids, and the green plain through which the Nil...

Columned hall from Megiddo ‎ Three-part columned halls were discovered in several major cities in Palestine, mostly near the city gate. Initially, they were considered to be horse barns from the time of Solomon, but this assumption is now abandoned. The first of these structures already appear in the 11th century BCE, but most of them rather date back to the 9th/8th century BCE. These were probably storage rooms and trading centers.

‘Darkness’ in the Gospel of John John 3:19–20 Excerpt ... [darkness] quality regarded as less valuable than light ( Eccles. 2:13 ). Imagery based on darkness is especially prominent in the poetic books where it represents destruction, death, and the underworld ( Isa. 5:30;47:5; Ps. 143:3; Job 17:13; cf. Mark 15:33 ) in a manner similar to that known in other ancient Near Eastern cultures. Conceived as a curse or punishment ( Deut. 28:29; Ps. 35:6 ), darkness characterizes the coming Day of the Lord ( Joel 2:2; Amos 5:18 ). God’s appearance is often accompanied by darkness ( 1 Kings 8:12 ), which, according to Gen. 1:2 , prevailed prior to creation, although Isa. 45:7 and Ps. 104:20 assert that it was created by God. The Dead Sea Scrolls contrast light and darkness as representing the forces of good and evil, both metaphysically and psychologically; a similar view has been noted in the Gospel of John. Achtemeier, Paul J., Harper & Row and Society of Biblical Literature. Harper’s B...

Shiloh place of tabernacle

Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser II ‎Second row of bas-relief enlarged. ‎From a Photograph.

Invocation tablet(the so-called Large Amulet) ‎The bronze tablet from Mesopotamia (beginning of the 1st millennium BCE) is 13 cm high. The lion head of the Assyrian demon Pazuzu, who was feared as causing diseases but also could chase away other demons, peeks over the amulet’s upper edge. The top row shows the most important Mesopotamian deities with their symbols. The figures in the row beneath are wearing animal masks. They have a mediating function in the exorcism. The third row shows the exorcism procedure itself. The ill person is lying on a bed surrounded by figures in fish clothing; the are exercising a purification ritual. On the right, figures with lion masks are performing the actual exorcism. In the middle of the fourth row, the malicious demoness Lamashtu with lion head is nursing a piglet and a dog on her breasts. She rides an onager through the swamp (lowest row); the onager itself is standing on a two-headed snake. Lamashtu is an evil spirit believed to have ca...