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

Lord’s Day, the As well as keeping the Sabbath, the first Christians assembled together on the first day of the week to commemorate Jesus Christ’s resurrection through the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Day quickly became the focal point of the Christian week, eventually assuming the characteristics of the Jewish Sabbath, namely worship and rest. Manser, Martin H. Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. London: Martin Manser, 2009. Print.

Lesson for August 28, 2016 Love Fulfills the Law Romans 12:1, 2; 13:8–10 Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson . Scott teaches  preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri . This lesson treatment is published in the August 21 issue of  The Lookout  magazine and is also available online at  www.lookoutmag.com . ______ By Mark Scott  The most outstanding attribute of God is love ( 1 John 4:8 ). The greatest commandment is to love God ( Mark 12:30 ). The second greatest commandment is to love one’s neighbor ( v. 31 ). The first listed fruit of the Holy Spirit is love ( Galatians 5:22 ). All the commandments of God are swallowed up in love . This is why love  fulfills the law . We come to the end of our time in Romans with a lesson from this practical section where love is mentioned in every chapter ( Romans 12–16 ). Love is to be sincere and causes...

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2016 | PENTECOST FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST YEAR C               Old Testament       Proverbs 25:6, 7              Psalm       Psalm 119              New Testament       Hebrews 13:1–8               New Testament       James 2:1–13 (Supplemental)              Gospel       Luke 14:1, 7–14 Christian Worship Three Year Lectionary (with Supplemental Lectionary). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009. Print.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2016 | AFTER PENTECOST PROPER 17 YEAR C               Old Testament       Jeremiah 2:4–13              Psalm       Psalm 81:1, 10–16 (UMH 803)               New Testament       Hebrews 13:1–8, 15–16               Gospel       Luke 14:1, 7–14 Vanderbilt Divinity Library. United Methodist Revised Common Lectionary. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009. Print.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2016 | ORDINARY TIME TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C | ROMAN MISSAL               First Reading       Sirach 3:17–18, 20, 28–29               Response       Psalm 68:11b               Psalm       Psalm 68:4–7, 10–11               Second Reading       Hebrews 12:18–19, 22–24a               Gospel Acclamation       Matthew 11:29ab               Gospel       Luke 14:1, 7–14 Catholic Lectionary. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009. Print.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2016 | PENTECOST PROPER 17 YEAR C On the same date: Augustine of Hippo, Pastor, and Theologian               Old Testament       Proverbs 25:2–10              Psalm       Psalm 131               Epistle       Hebrews 13:1–17               Gospel       Luke 14:1–14 Lutheran Service Book Three Year Lectionary. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009. Print.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2016 | AFTER PENTECOST PROPER 17 YEAR C               Psalm       Psalm 112              First Reading       (Sirach 10:7–11) 12–18               Second Reading       Hebrews 13:1–8               Gospel       Luke 14:1, 7–14 The Episcopal Church. Book of Common Prayer (1979) Sunday Lectionary. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010. Print.

Hyena

Approach to the Nile Bridge ‎In the olden time, as in 1863, when the writer first visited Egypt, the passage of the Nile was made by a small ferry boat in company with horses, donkeys, peddlers, farmers, beggars, tourists—a motley crowd. Now, one may cross the bridge Kasar en-Nil. It is a bridge of iron one thousand two hundred and sixty feet long and has strong stone buttresses. It is a comfortable thing in these days to take a carriage instead of a donkey, in Cairo, to cross the bridge instead of a ferry and to enjoy an unbroken ride over a smooth, finely macadamized road under the shade of acacia trees to the foot of the ridge on which the pyramids stand. We went in 1863 on a donkey over a narrow tortuous path, and what required several hours at that time may now be accomplished in about an hour and a half. It is sometimes the case that the bridge is swung open for two hours at the time for the passage of boats, and it behooves the tourist to watch the right time for leav...

Egyptian Swords

Fishermen’s Houses, Beyrout ‎Beyrout was celebrated in the third century as a seat of learning. Students flocked to her from all parts of the known world. It is said that Gregory Thaumacurgus even passed by Athens and Alexandria to study law at this place. It continued to be a seat of learning until the year 551 when the city was destroyed by an earthquake. It is now the most modern looking city in the East and contains a population of one hundred and ten thousand. The European appearance which Beyrout presents and its prosperity are entirely owing to the foreign influence. The principal article of export is raw silk, and Lebanon is in fact, becoming one vast mulberry plantation. Fishing has become one of its chief industries, and its bay is just such a harbor as fishermen appreciate and delight in. The fisheries are extensive and profitable. The Syrian Protestant College established many years ago by the Presbyterians, has been one of the most important factors in ...

Hittites

The Harem of Xerxes ‎A harem was always part of the ruler’s palace. Political marriages were important peacekeeping and trade-securing operations. In contrast to the common people, a king could have several wives, who were living in a special, adequately furnished compound. ‎ Esther 2:11

Transgressors of the Law   2.      COMPASSION FOR ALL ( 2:5–9 ) 2:5–7 . With the plea, Listen, my dear brothers, James went on to explain why their preferential judgment was wrong. He made his point through four questions, each of which anticipated an affirmative answer. First , Has not God chosen those who appear poor materially, but are rich spiritually, to inherit His promised kingdom? ( cf . 1:9 ) Second , Are not the rich the ones who are consistently guilty of oppression, extortion, and slander ( blasphēmousin , 2:7 , lit. , “blasphemy” ). Third , Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Fourth , Are they not the ones who slander Jesus’ noble name? Believers belong to Him, not to the rich exploiters. James’ readers would have to agree with these contentions, and to recognize that insulting the poor and favoring the rich was wrong and totally unreasonable. Blue, J. Ronald. “James.” The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Expositio...

August 26   If we suffer, we shall also reign with him         2 Tim. 2:12 The photographer must have a negative, as he calls it, in order to furnish you with a picture. Now, the earthly cross is the negativity from which the heavenly crown is to be made; the suffering and sorrow of the present time determining the glory, honor, and immortality of the life to come. A. J. Gordon Hardman, Samuel G., and Dwight Lyman Moody. Thoughts for the Quiet Hour. Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997. Print.

August 26: Lives of Spiritual Opulence Isaiah 52:1–54:17; Luke 20:41–21:24; Job 12:1–12 The Pharisees upheld a faulty religious system. They were supposed to be the Jews’ spiritual leaders, but they were more interested in making themselves the religious elite. They loved “greetings in the marketplace and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets” ( Luke 20:46 ). Their ministry was built on the backs of the poor. In contrast, the widow depicted in Luke 21 chose to give all she had. Because she had so little, her generosity was sacrificial. Those who gave out of abundance didn’t feel the loss of income like she did. But the contrast between the widow and the Pharisees shows us much more. Luke says that spiritual wealth can be present where we least expect it—that things aren’t always as they appear. Although Jesus is the long-anticipated Messiah, following Him is never going to bring a life of glory and fame. Jesus is ushering in a kingdom like a...

August 26th Are you ever disturbed? Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you. John 14:27 . There are times when our peace is based upon ignorance, but when we awaken to the facts of life, inner peace is impossible unless it is received from Jesus. When Our Lord speaks peace, He makes peace, His words are ever “spirit and life.” Have I ever received what Jesus speaks? “My peace I give unto you” —it is a peace which comes from looking into His face and realizing His undisturbedness. Are you painfully disturbed just now, distracted by the waves and billows of God’s providential permission, and having, as it were, turned over the boulders of your belief, are you still finding no well of peace or joy or comfort; is all barren? Then look up and receive the undisturbedness of the Lord Jesus. Reflected peace is the proof that you are right with God because you are at liberty to turn your mind to Him. If you are not right with God, you can never turn your mind anywher...

Morning, August 26                                     Go To Evening Reading           “He hath commanded his covenant for ever.”           —Psalms 111:9 The Lord’s people delight in the covenant itself. It is an unfailing source of consolation to them so often as the Holy Spirit leads them into its banqueting house and waves its banner of love. They delight to contemplate the antiquity of that covenant, remembering that before the day-star knew its place or planets ran their round, the interests of the saints were made secure in Christ Jesus. It is peculiarly pleasing to them to remember the sureness of the covenant while meditating upon “the sure mercies of David.” They delight to celebrate it as “signed, and sealed, and ratified, in all things ordered well.” It often makes their hearts dilate with joy to think of its immutability...

Black forced slave history in the building of the American education system http://theconversation.com/ slavery-on-campus-recovering- the-history-of-washington- colleges-discarded-slaves- 63491

Creation to be Liberated Romans 16:13 That outstanding worker ( NEB “an outstanding follower” ) is literally “the elect one.” This is a term which may be applied to all Christians ( see 8:33 ), but in the present context, it is used to draw some special attention to Rufus as an outstanding person in the Lord’s service. Once again in the Lord’s service is literally “in the Lord” ( see verse 16:2 , and verse 16:9 , as well as verse 16:12 ). Paul’s expression “his mother and mine” is taken by the TEV to mean his mother, who has always treated me like a son ( NEB “whom I call mother too” ; Goodspeed “who has been a mother to me” ). Rufus’ mother was not actually Paul’s mother and it is clear from the context what Paul means, and so the TEV , along with others, makes this information explicit. In translating the clause who has always treated me like a son, it is important to avoid the implication that the mother of Rufus had been overbearing. One can render this...

Adam and Eve’s Family outside the Garden Whereas Chaps. 2–3 recount the Life of Adam and Eve inside the garden, Chap. 4 will relate a new episode in the ongoing story of the first couple’s experience—but now outside the garden. The abrupt announcement of Cain and Abel’s birth ( vv. 1–2 ) is told so as to show the linkage between Chap. 3 ’s intimations of continued life and prosperity ( 3:15–16, 20 ) and the beginning realization of that hope despite human sin in the garden. Sadly, the optimism of the narrative turns to the sordid account of sin’s continuing encroachment by the murder of Abel at the hands of his elder brother ( vv. 3–16 ). Remarkably, however, the grace of God toward Cain enables Adam’s firstborn to survive and later father an impressive lineage whose members are remembered for notable cultural achievements. Unfortunately, these achievements were overshadowed by their wicked accomplishments ( vv. 17–24 ). The “ tôlĕdôt of the heavens and earth” ( 2:4–4:26 ) c...

Priesthood of Melchizedek Hebrews 10:26–39    C.      Exhortation ( vv. 26–39 ). This is the fourth of the five exhortations (see outline). It warns against willful sin. Please remember that this exhortation is to believers, not unsaved people and that it is related to the previous three exhortations. Careless Christians start to drift through neglect; then they doubt the Word; then they grow dull toward the Word; and the next step is deliberately sinning and despising their spiritual heritage. Note the important facts about this particular sin. It is not one sin committed once; “sin willfully” in v. 26 should read “willingly go on sinning.” It is the same continuous tense of the verb as in 1 John 3:4–10 — “Whosoever continually and habitually sins is not born of God.” So, this passage is not dealing with an “unpardonable sin” ; it is talking about an attitude toward the Word that God calls willful rebellion. There were no sacrifices in the OT f...

Too Loose, Too Tight and the Overrated “Just Right”: A Guest Post from Author Hettie Brittz Parenting isn’t easy. And mothers, especially, can be hard on themselves when it comes to balancing parenting styles that allow their children independence with healthy boundaries and supervision. In  (un)Natural Mom: Why You Are the Perfect Mom for Your Kids , author Hettie Brittz writes on the myth of the “Natural Mom,” discussing how every mom is the right mom for her children, and how God has given each mom the skills she needs for her children’s needs. Enjoy this guest post from author Hettie Brittz, in which she tells us a story where she experienced this tension between “too loose” and “too tight” parenting. Hettie Brittz is a wife, mother, and speaker from South Africa. Author of  Growing Kids with Character ,  Growing Kids Through Healthy Authority , and  Cultivating Compassionate Discipline , (un)Natural Mom  is her first book to be released ...

Bond Servant of Christ Jesus Romans 1:7   7 . beloved of God—( Compare De 33:12; Col 3:12 ). Grace, &c.—( See on Jn 1:14 ). and peace—the peace which Christ made through the blood of His cross ( Col 1:20 ), and which reflects into the believing bosom “the peace of God which passeth all understanding” ( Php 4:7 ). from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ— “Nothing speaks more decisively for the divinity of Christ than these juxtapositions of Christ with the eternal God, which run through the whole language of Scripture, and the derivation of purely divine influences from Him also. The name of no man can be placed by the side of the Almighty. He only, in whom the Word of the Father who is Himself God became flesh, may be named beside Him; for men are commanded to honor Him even as they honor the Father ( Jn 5:23 )” [OLSHAUSEN] Jamieson, Robert, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible . Vol. 2. O...

The Supremacy of Jesus Christ Hebrews 1:2–4 The New Way Described Jesus’ supremacy is based on two facts: (1) he was appointed heir of all things and (2) before that he was the vehicle of creation ( Hebrews 1:2 ). Here the writer emphasized the incomparable greatness, power, and majesty of the Son. Jesus has a better nature than angels. Christ is characterized as the Creator himself. His word sustains creation, and he has the very character of God. Hughes, Robert B., and J. Carl Laney. Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001. Print. The Tyndale Reference Library.

Aquinas on Unjust Laws Reply Obj. 2. Human law has the nature of law in so far as it partakes of right reason; and it is clear that, in this respect, it is derived from the eternal law. But in so far as it deviates from reason, it is called an unjust law, and has nature, not of law but of violence. Nevertheless, even an unjust law, in so far as it retains some appearance of law, though being framed by one who is in power, is derived from the eternal law; since all power is from the Lord God, according to Rom. 13:1 . Reply Obj. 3. Human law is said to permit certain things, not as approving of them, but as being unable to direct them. And many things are directed by the Divine law, which human law is unable to direct because more things are subject to a higher than to a lower cause. Hence the very fact that human law does not meddle with matters it cannot direct, comes under the ordination of the eternal law. It would be different, were in human law to sanction what the e...

August 25   Nevertheless, at thy word         Luke 5:5 Oh, what a blessed formula for us! This path of mine is dark, mysterious, perplexing; nevertheless, at Thy word I will go forward. This trial of mine is cutting, sore for flesh and blood to bear. It is hard to breathe through a broken heart, Thy will be done. But, nevertheless, at Thy word I will say, Even so, Father! This besetting habit, or infirmity, or sin of mine, is difficult to crucify. It has become part of myself—a second nature; to be severed from it would be like the cutting off of a right hand or the plucking out of a right eye; nevertheless, at Thy word I will lay aside every weight; this idol I will utterly abolish. This righteousness of mine it is hard to ignore; all these virtues, and amiabilities, and natural graces, it is hard to believe that they dare not in any way be mixed up in the matter of my salvation; and that I am to receive all from first to last as the gift of ...

August 25th The fruitfulness of friendship I have called you friends. John 15:15 . We never know the joy of self-sacrifice until we abandon in every particular. Self-surrender is the most difficult thing— ‘I will if …!’ ‘Oh well, I suppose I must devote my life to God.’ There is none of the joy of self-sacrifice in that. As soon as we do abandon, the Holy Ghost gives us an intimation of the joy of Jesus. The final aim of self-sacrifice is laying down our lives for our Friend. When the Holy Ghost comes in, the great desire is to lay down the life for Jesus; the thought of sacrifice never touches us because sacrifice is the love passion of the Holy Ghost. Our Lord is our example in the life of self-sacrifice— “I delight to do Thy will, O My God.” He went on with His sacrifice with exuberant joy. Have I ever yielded in absolute submission to Jesus Christ? If Jesus Christ is not the lodestar, there is no benefit in the sacrifice; but when the sacrifice is made with...

Morning, August 25                                     Go To Evening Reading           “His fruit was sweet to my taste.”           —Song of Solomon 2:3 Faith, in the Scripture , is spoken of under the emblem of all the senses. It is a sight: “Look unto me and be ye saved.” It is hearing: “Hear, and your soul shall live.” Faith is smelling: “All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia”; “thy name is as ointment poured forth.” Faith is spiritual touch. By this faith, the woman came behind and touched the hem of Christ’s garment, and by this, we handle the things of the good word of life. Faith is equally the spirit’s taste. “How sweet are thy words to my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my lips.” “Except a man eat my flesh,” saith Christ, “and drink my blood, there is no life in him.” This “taste” is faith in on...

August 25: Riddle Me This Isaiah 50:1–51:23; Luke 20:1–40; Job 11:12–20 Jesus’ enemies regularly attempted to make Him look foolish or to disprove His authority. The absurd questions they concocted to discredit Him are rather amusing. The Sadducees posed one of the most preposterous questions about the resurrection of the dead and its relevance to divorce ( Luke 20:27–33 ): If a woman has been married seven times, whose wife will she be when the dead are resurrected? This scene is especially humorous in light of rabbis’ habit of playing mind games to outsmart (or “outwise” ) one another and the Sadducees’ belief that resurrection does not exist. Jesus’ opponents thought they had rigged the game: Any answer to their riddle would be incorrect. It was an attempt to trap Jesus into agreeing that the resurrection of the dead is a myth. Jesus, however, offered an answer that put them in their place ( Luke 20:34–40 ). His response made the Sadducees look even more foolish in light ...

God guided David Excerpt David was up very early that day and heard the morning challenge that Goliath gave to Saul and his army. If the Israelites could provide a champion who was able to defeat Goliath, the Philistines would submit to the Jews and be their servants, but if not, the Israelites must consider themselves defeated and become the servants of the Philistines ( vv. 8–9 ). Unfortunately, nobody in the Jewish army volunteered, including King Saul, who stood head and shoulders above his men. Since Israel had come to a crisis in this confrontation, Saul made a generous offer to the man who would silence Goliath: he would marry one of the king’s daughters, receive great riches from the king, and take his father’s house off the tax rolls. Saul hoped that somebody would be tempted by the offer and try to defeat Goliath. Wiersbe, Warren W. Be Successful. Colorado Springs, CO: Victor/Cook Communications, 2001. Print. “Be” Commentary Series.

The Daughters of Shiloh ‎ When the edge of their fury was dulled and its heat cooled, the Israelites repented the extremity of their vengeance against Benjamin. They were horrified at the thought that one tribe should utterly disappear from among the twelve, so they sought to reëstablish the six hundred outlaw Benjamites of Rimmon. Yet in the heat of anger, each Israelite had vowed never to let any woman of his family wed with a Benjamite. How then might these lone six hundred fighting men rear families; ‎A crafty method was found which, neither breaking the vow nor yet preserving it, seemed to satisfy the not over-delicate consciences of the time. One city of Israel had neglected the common cause and sent no warriors to the war. This city was suddenly attacked, destroyed, and its marriageable women presented to the Benjamites. As there were not enough of these unhappy victims, the remaining Benjamites were secretly instructed to go to the city of Shiloh, where the maide...

Antonia Fortress, East Gate ‎ Josephus’ description of the Fortress Antonia in Jerusalem mentions four towers, with three towers standing 50 cubits (about 75 feet or 23 m) high and the southeast tower, the one nearest the Temple, standing tallest at seventy cubits or about 105 feet (32 m). The Romans kept a wary eye on the Temple enclosure as Jewish religious fervor often translated into rebellious speech and seditious action. Roman troops, nearby when an angry mob threatened Paul’s life, saved him from violent death. ‎ Acts 21:31–37, Acts 22:24 ‎Image by user Deror avi, from Wikimedia Commons. License: Free use, attribution required

Baptism in John 3:5? John 3:5 Excerpt Could the text of 3:5 then possibly refer to Christian baptism? The answer is certainly not a simple one. Birth from above for John was the equivalent of salvation or eternal life. Such birth, as some scholars have noted, is in John similar to being children of God in the Synoptic Gospels ( e.g. , Matt 18:3; Mark 10:15 ). In the early church baptismal language could be used in contexts that refer to the salvation process. Examples are numerous, but a few will suffice, such as being buried and raised ( e.g. , Rom 6:1–11 ), or the putting off of the old way and the putting on of the new ( e.g. , Col 3:1–17 ), or in the commission to evangelize ( e.g. , Matt 28:10 ). In such contexts, baptism and salvation were clearly linked in the thinking of early Christians. Was the same true for John, who later in the first century was writing reflectively on the significance of the Nicodemus story for his community of believers? In trying to answer this quest...

Clay Coin Molds ‎Many ancient coins were poured as hot metal into clay molds like these, taking on the image molded into the clay as they cooled. This process is called casting. Hiram, the artisan from Tyre, used a similar process to cast the bronze instruments and fixtures for Solomon’s Temple, though he cast them in clay ground rather than in discrete molds. These Roman coin molds, found in Northern England, were used in the fourth century A.D. ‎ 1 Kgs 7:45–46, 2 Chr 4:17

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 ...

Until the Day of Christ Jesus Philippians 1:6 Excerpt Paul expressed the confidence that the growth would take place “until the day of Christ Jesus.” He glanced backward to their salvation and forward to the completion of their character when the Lord returns. No doubt the reference to the “day of Christ Jesus” is the “day of the Lord” so common in the Old Testament ( Joel 2:1 ; Amos 5:20 ). The question is why the end times were included at this point. Although Paul could have thought in terms of the imminent coming of the Lord, he also was more aware of a delay than earlier in his ministry. 16 Paul’s use of the phrase “until the day” actually called to mind the consummation of the present age. It was Paul’s way of making two emphases: sanctification was an ongoing process and the process would continue to the end of the age. At that time the believers would be complete in character. They needed not to fear the judgment which characterized that day. Melick, Richard R. Philippians, ...

August 24th The spiritual index Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Matthew 7:9 . The illustration of prayer that Our Lord uses here is that of a good child asking for a good thing. We talk about prayer as if God heard us irrespective of the fact of our relationship to Him ( cf . Matthew 5:45 ). Never say it is not God’s will to give you what you ask, don’t sit down and faint, but find out the reason, turn up the index. Are you rightly related to your wife, to your husband, to your children, to your fellow-students—are you a ‘good child’ there? ‘Oh, Lord, I have been irritable and cross, but I do want spiritual blessing.’ You cannot have it, you will have to do without until you come into the attitude of a good child. We mistake defiance for devotion; arguing with God for abandonment. We will not look at the index. Have I been asking God to give me money for something I want when there is something I have not paid for? ...

Morning, August 24                                     Go To Evening Reading           “The breaker is come up before them.”           —Micah 2:13 Inasmuch as Jesus has gone before us, things remain not as they would have been had he never passed that way. He has conquered every foe that obstructed the way. Cheer up now thou faint-hearted warrior. Not only has Christ travelled the road, but he has slain thine, enemies. Dost thou dread sin? He has nailed it to his cross. Dost thou fear death? He has been the death of Death. Art thou afraid of hell? He has barred it against the advent of any of his children; they shall never see the gulf of perdition. Whatever foes may be before the Christian, they are all overcome. There are lions, but their teeth are broken; there are serpents, but their fangs are extracted; there are rivers, but they...

August 24: Who Is Trustworthy? Isaiah 48:1–49:26; Luke 19:11–48; Job 11:1–12 We might get sidetracked when reading the Parable of the Ten Minas. Businessmen aren’t sympathetic characters in our modern world. In movies and sometimes in life, they’re often flat, miserly characters who take advantage of naïve individuals and community values. Although there is often an element of truth to some stereotypes, it can be too easy to take sides. And we’re forced to take sides in this parable. Whose view is correct—the people of the city who hate the nobleman, the fearful servant, or the nobleman and his faithful servants? The response of the masses seems unjustified. The two servants entrusted with minas are faithful characters, but not the focus of the parable. When the final servant is summoned, we expect an interesting turn of events. Will we sympathize with him? We’ve already heard that the citizens hate the nobleman, and the final servant seems to confirm this: “For I was afra...

August 24   I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing         Ezek. 36:26 What is thy season this morning? Is it the season of drought? Then that is the season for showers. Is it a season of great heaviness and black clouds? Then that is the season for showers. “As thy days so shall thy strength be.” “I will give thee showers of blessings.” The word is in the plural. All kinds of blessings God will send. All God’s blessings go together, like links in a golden chain. If He gives converting grace, He will also give comforting grace. He will send “showers of blessings.” Look up today, O parched plant and open thy leaves and flowers for a heavenly watering. Spurgeon Hardman, Samuel G., and Dwight Lyman Moody. Thoughts for the Quiet Hour. Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997. Print.