#Cry Out to God as "Abba! Father!"

[thinkingonscripture]

The Believers' Adoption Into God's Family

As those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, we have been transferred from Satan’s “domain of darkness” (Col 1:13) and placed into the family of God. Our new status is as “children of God” (John 1:12; cf., Rom 8:16; Phil 2:15). John wrote, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are” (1 John 3:1a). We do not come into…

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#Abba Father #Adopted as God&039;s children #Adoption as Sons #biblical adoption #Children of God #Church Age Believers #Cry Out to God as "Abba! Father!" #Eschatological Adoption #Eschatological Redemption #Eternal Inheritance #Full Rights in God&039;s Family #God as Father #Grace and Love of God #Grace Gift #how to become a child of God #Kind Intention of His Will #Legal Child #meaning of adoption in the Bible #New Birth in Christ #Position in God&039;s Family #predestination #Privileges and Responsibilities #redemption #Resurrection of the Body #Royal Family of God #Spiritual Aristocracy #Spiritual Infancy #spiritual maturity #The Believers&039; Adoption Into God&039;s Family #Union with Christ

[childofchrist1983]

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. - Romans 8:14-17 KJV

Paul, in quoting Jesus Christ, tells us that as children of God we have the right to call God "Father". This is what "Abba" means, not the more formal Father.

We are heirs of Heaven, so we should not have a spirit of fear. Have you ever thought of what it means to have God as "Father"?

I'd like you to think for a few minutes about what it might feel like: Picture your favorite peaceful spot. It may be in your home, or in a part, or watching the water lap the shore. You sit on a comfortable chair or bench and God comes and sits beside you. He invites you to share with Him all your concerns, worries, fears, all that is bothering you. You pour your heart out to Him as He sits smiling at you. There is no judgment in His eyes, only love.

Soon, you are finished and wonder what God will say. Instead, He puts his arms around you and tells you how much He loves you. He tells you that He is with you and will help you carry your burdens; you only need to believe and trust Him. After a few minutes, He gets up and walks away.

Feeling lighter and refreshed, you return to your day, knowing you have a loving forgiving father that is always there when you need Him and to talk to Him.

He is always there, watching over us as a loving parent. May He help us to remember that we can always come to Him when we need to talk and we believe that He will answer us.  What a wonderful God we serve! His will be done!

Thanks and glory be to God! Blessed be the name of the LORD! Hallelujah and Amen!

[last-elijah]

To those with eyes that see and ears that hear, see and hear:

Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Romans 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Hebrews 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Exodus 20:1 And God spake all these words, saying, 2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

13 Thou shalt not kill.

14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

15 Thou shalt not steal.

16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

-Also Exodus chapter 21-23

John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

-So then the opposite is also true, if one does not keep His commandments, He will not manifest Himself to that one, so there is no way that one knows the Messiah.

-When the Messiah said those words there was no New Testament.

-Before the lawless and disobedient begin to quote Galations remember these verses:

-(Notice Galations 2 specifically address circumcision and not eating with Gentiles)

Galations 2:17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. 18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

-..."For I through the law am dead to the law "

(1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin  transgresseth also the law: for sin is the  transgression of the law.)

Galatians 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

-In Galations 3:6 Paul, to give validation to his point is qouting Genesis 15:6) And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

-So Belief is counted as righteousness.

-But know this also:

Genesis 26:3-5 3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; 4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; 5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

-...and I will perform the oath which I swear unto Abraham thy father;... Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

-But the Oath, or promise, the Lord performs because of obedience.

Galatians 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

-In Galations 4:22-31 the bond woman had no choice but to do as her master said, but the freewoman had a choice, which was Sarah, and what choice did Sarah make?

1 Peter 3:4-6

4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

-Sarah choose obedience.

Galations 5:4 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

-for if you love someone you should automatically treat them as the law commands.

Galations 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Romans 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

Galations 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

-Now in Galations 5:19-21 Paul lists things and says that if one does them, "and such like", they will not enter the Kingdom of God, pretty much all of which is listed there are specific commandments and laws against, so if one does those things which are contrary to the commandments and laws, you will not enter the Kingdom of God.

-then Paul goes on to say:

Galations 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

-..."against such there is no law."

Galations 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Galations 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

-I often wonder how people can read Galations and come to thier false conclusions and never see these verses, or read the Word of God and never see this:

Revelation 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

The conclusion:

-Do not have your faith in your works or you will die, your faith must be in the Messiah, yet if your faith has no works, it is dead and you will die. Belief is counted as righteousness as long as one believes, and if one believes they will be obedient and shall recieve the Promise of being saved at the end. (Matthew 24:13, Mark 13:13, Hebrews 3:6, 1 Peter 1:9)

Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

-heaven and earth have not passed.

- scripture does not counterdict scripture, scripture contradicts lies and false interpretations, all scripture must be reckoned together to find truth.

Matthew 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

[onaf]

Of Dogs and Children

Believers in Christ have their hang-ups, their own theological baggage when it comes to the faith. This doesn’t always come in the form of outright denial of the core tenets of the Christian religion. But it can mean there are teachings that are quick to be absorbed mentally, yet slow to penetrate the heart.

For me, one of the most difficult things to understand at heart about Christ is how He condescends to sinners like myself. When I read Matthew 11: 28-30, Christ’s character takes on a peculiar timbre:

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

To some, this may be an inconsequential passage. But I wonder how one can think that! What is easier for me to understand is that Christ - the One through whom the universe was created - has authority to judge the living and the dead. It isn’t hard for me to accept how He performed miracles, for what is difficult for the Christ? Theophanies? Old Testament prophecies about Jesus? Awesome!

But a Christ that is lowly? A savior that is gentle when with but one word He could annihilate all that is unholy (namely myself)? A King to whom I am - by rights - condemned forever, but gave Himself as a ransom for me? More food for thought from Hebrews 4:14-16...

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

I think many of us can understand that God would be a righteous judge against ungodliness, that He has wrath against sin, that He wields great power, and that He is holy. But I hope I’m not alone in finding His closeness to the downtrodden, the fallen, and the broken as being really hard to wrap my mind around!

This is a deeply practical problem. You can’t divorce theological conviction from how you live your daily life. Finding Christ’s meekness a difficult concept to absorb, I sometimes lean toward an imbalanced life. Without meditating enough on Christ’s mercy and sympathy to the struggles of a wicked man like myself, I gravitate more toward what I believe I do understand: my wretchedness.

What do you get when you have a believer who understands that he is a sinner deserving of eternal judgement but struggles to accept that he is a recipient of mercy? Though his heart yearns for Christ and His righteousness, a lie makes the honest truths seem beyond reach. The lie is: your redemption is insignificant.

A heart in this condition is divided. The honest hope of this man is truly in Christ, and his salvation has been secured already by the grace of God. But a pernicious untruth has craned the neck of this believer to look inward at the remaining filthiness of sin and to believe this to be the most accurate representation of his state. The Spirit-led part of his heart hopes for the Kingdom of God, but - since his focus has been on the irredeemable sin of his flesh - he has been convinced that the honest hopes of his heart are actually born of self-deception. It is a confusion of the highest order, one that prevents a Christian from living out his true calling with his undivided attention - and a confusion with which I am well-acquainted.

In short, instead of believing that I am a child of God by grace, a fallen part of me condemns me as if I was not. So, in my weaker moments, my heart resorts to an unholy compromise: that perhaps I am welcome in the house of God, but only as a dog. I may be in the dining room, but I only lay on the floor and eat the crumbs from the table while others more worthy garner God’s more rapt attention.

Matthew 15:24-28 says...

“He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ But she came and knelt before Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me.’ And He answered, ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.’ She said ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed instantly.”

There’s a theme there that I grabbed onto a long time ago. I knew that I had been bought with a price, the Lord wouldn’t let me forget that. But my heart refused to unfocus from my sinful nature. It instead used this passage in Matthew and keep me where I didn’t belong. The mistake in my thinking was that Christ redeemed me who was dead in my trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1) and made me a dog - a second rate, quasi-Christian. For the hopeless, going from being dead to being a dog isn’t that bad of a deal. Unless you know better, it’s a great deal. From being cast into outer darkness to at least being in your gracious masters’ dining room is a worthy trade! Everyone knows, however, a dog has no share in the inheritance of the master's children.

But this falls short of what the Bible teaches. To settle for being a dog is a tragedy when, in reality, you’ve been adopted as a son or daughter! The obsession with relegating oneself to the station of a cur is to, in reality, choose to disbelieve the promises of God. It is a tacit allegation of dishonesty on God’s part - saying that He is either not that mighty to save or that your sin makes you an exception to the redemptive rule. This is faithlessness hidden under the veil of fake piety.

Consider the following:

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”  Luke 19:10

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”  Romans 8:1-2

But most importantly, this:

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died - more than that, who was raised - who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:31-39

To say to your own soul that the best God did for you was to bring you from death to a grudgingly-awarded spot on the floor in His general vicinity (with the unspoken threat of expulsion for the slightest mistake) is to do violence to His mighty ability to bring about your salvation (Zeph. 3:17). Why does my heart insist on its own harm by attempting to shackle God’s redemptive work?

One of the greatest resources I’ve encountered lately in dealing with this struggle is found in The Bruised Reed, by the Puritan Richard Sibbes. A great quote here:

“If Christ should not be merciful to our weaknesses, He should not have a people to serve Him. Suppose therefore we are very weak, yet so long as we are not found amongst malicious opposers and underminers of God’s truth, let us not give way to despairing thoughts; we have a merciful Saviour.” (pg. 58)

Even to those who are in Christ but find themselves in sin - as we do all too often - there is hope. Sibbes continues:

“What course shall such take to recover their peace? They must condemn themselves sharply, and yet cast themselves upon God’s mercy in Christ, as at their first conversion. And now they must embrace Christ the more firmly, as they see more need in themselves; and let them remember the mildness of Christ here, that He will not quench the smoking flax.” (pg. 60)

Through these struggles, I have learned some things:

Christ is indeed lowly enough in heart so as to understand our weakness and not despise it.

The redemption that true believers find in Him is no lie, it is not done by half measures - since it is with the death and resurrection of Christ’s whole body that we have been purchased. Thus, the redemption is total, to be fully seen in due time.

To doubt one’s standing with God after being redeemed by Christ is to accuse Him of being less than He is. Do you believe Him to be an effective Savior? Then you must trust that He is qualified to save!

When a sinner is saved by grace, it is to no small and insignificant station. Consider the following:

“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”  Romans 8:15-17

Where, then, is there room for God’s children to act as though they are just dogs at the dining room table?

#Christianity church puritan puritans salvation doubt bible scripture dogs children despair hope Jesus Christ

[troybeecham]

Today the Church commemorates Good Friday, the Friday of the Crucifixion of Jesus.

Good Friday is the Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death on the hill of Calvary just outside the gates of Jerusalem. It is observed on Friday during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum, the Great Three Days leading up to the Sunday of the Resurrection, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of Passover.

The date of Good Friday varies from one year to the next on both the Gregorian and Julian calendars. Eastern and Western Christianity disagree over the computation of the date of Easter and therefore of Good Friday.

Biblical accounts

According to the accounts in the Gospels, the royal soldiers, guided by Jesus' disciple Judas Iscariot, arrested Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas received money (30 pieces of silver) for betraying Jesus and told the guards that whomever he kisses is the one they are to arrest. Following his arrest, Jesus was taken to the house of Annas, the father-in-law of the high priest, Caiaphas. There he was interrogated with little result and sent bound to Caiaphas the high priest where the Sanhedrin had assembled.

Conflicting testimony against Jesus was brought forth by many witnesses, to which Jesus answered nothing. Finally the high priest adjured Jesus to respond under solemn oath, saying "I adjure you, by the Living God, to tell us, are you the Anointed One, the Son of God?" Jesus testified ambiguously, "You have said it, and in time you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty, coming on the clouds of Heaven." The high priest condemned Jesus for blasphemy, and the Sanhedrin concurred with a sentence of death. Peter, waiting in the courtyard, also denied Jesus three times to bystanders while the interrogations were proceeding just as Jesus had foretold.

In the morning, the whole assembly brought Jesus to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate under charges of subverting the nation, opposing taxes to Caesar, and making himself a king. Pilate authorized the Jewish leaders to judge Jesus according to their own law and execute sentencing; however, the Jewish leaders replied that they were not allowed by the Romans to carry out a sentence of death.

Pilate questioned Jesus and told the assembly that there was no basis for sentencing. Upon learning that Jesus was from Galilee, Pilate referred the case to the ruler of Galilee, King Herod, who was in Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. Herod questioned Jesus but received no answer; Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate. Pilate told the assembly that neither he nor Herod found Jesus to be guilty; Pilate resolved to have Jesus whipped and released. Under the guidance of the chief priests, the crowd asked for Jesus Bar Abbas, who had been imprisoned for committing murder during an insurrection. Pilate asked what they would have him do with Jesus, and they demanded, "Crucify him”. Pilate's wife had seen Jesus in a dream earlier that day, and she forewarned Pilate to "have nothing to do with this righteous man". Pilate had Jesus flogged and then brought him out to the crowd to release him. The chief priests informed Pilate of a new charge, demanding Jesus be sentenced to death "because he claimed to be God's son." This possibility filled Pilate with fear, and he brought Jesus back inside the palace and demanded to know from where he came.

Coming before the crowd one last time, Pilate declared Jesus innocent and washed his own hands in water to show he had no part in this condemnation. Nevertheless, Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified in order to forestall a riot, and ultimately to keep his job. The sentence written was "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Jesus carried his cross to the site of execution (assisted by Simon of Cyrene), called the "place of the Skull", or "Golgotha" in Hebrew and in Latin "Calvary". There he was crucified along with two criminals.

Jesus agonized on the cross for six hours. During his last three hours on the cross, from noon to 3 pm, darkness fell over the whole land. Jesus spoke from the cross, quoting the messianic Psalm 22: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

With a loud cry, Jesus gave up his spirit. There was an earthquake, tombs broke open, and the curtain in the Temple was torn from top to bottom. The centurion on guard at the site of crucifixion declared, "Truly this was God's Son!"

Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin and a secret follower of Jesus, who had not consented to his condemnation, went to Pilate to request the body of Jesus. Another secret follower of Jesus and member of the Sanhedrin named Nicodemus brought about a hundred-pound weight mixture of spices and helped wrap the body of Jesus.l Pilate asked confirmation from the centurion of whether Jesus was dead. A soldier pierced the side of Jesus with a lance causing blood and water to flow out and the centurion informed Pilate that Jesus was dead.

Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus' body, wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and placed it in his own new tomb that had been carved in the rock in a garden near the site of the crucifixion. Nicodemus also brought 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes, and placed them in the linen with the body, in keeping with Jewish burial customs.They rolled a large rock over the entrance of the tomb. Then they returned home and rested, because Shabbat had begun at sunset. Matt. 28:1 "After the Shabbat, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb". i.e. "After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week,...". "He is not here; he has risen, just as he said....". (Matt. 28:6).

Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

#christianity #jesus #god #salvation #Good Friday #Crucifixion of Jesus #father troy beecham #troy beecham episcopal #father troy beecham episcopal

[yieldfruit]

From Desiring God - Freedom From Worry

How do we find freedom from our worries? One of my favorite answers to this question is from the apostle Paul in Romans 8:13–15. There he writes this: “If you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” We battle sin to be freed from worry. And in the battle, we demonstrate our faith in Jesus Christ and his work for us. 

Ask yourself this question: Why didn’t the Bible just teach me to defeat sin by asking the Holy Spirit to do it? Why isn’t prayer the be-all and end-all of this battle? So here comes a temptation to either feel discouraged about finances, or to feel fearful because you’re sick, or to feel proud because you did something right. Why, at that moment, isn’t the way of killing that to simply say, “Holy Spirit, I ask you to come now and defeat the sin in my life. Amen”? And it’s done. Ask, and you will receive, right? Wrong. Why? Jesus gets no glory if you do it that way.

Foreground the Foundation

The reason it says in Galatians 3:5 that the Holy Spirit is supplied and becomes miracle-working in power “by hearing with faith” is that if you left out the hearing dimension — namely, hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ and the promises that he bought for you by his blood — and if Jesus doesn’t get the credit for those promises that you’re laying hold of, then he won’t get any glory. He’s just out of the equation.

And you might now and then think, “Well, theologically, I guess he’s the foundation of everything.” Well, you know what? Foundations in your house get no attention. You don’t go through the day saying, “I’m so thankful that I have a twelve-course basement. I love those cement blocks; they’re so pretty.” You don’t even think about the foundation in your house. So, to say every now and then, “Jesus is the foundation of everything” — so what? He gets no glory if you never talk about it, you never sing about it, you never bank on his blood to buy for you the promises.

Do you remember what 2 Corinthians 1:20 says? “All the promises of God find their Yes in [Jesus].” What that means is this: When you live your Christian life by picking a promise, banking on it, plugging in, so that faith goes into the word of God, do you know who bought that for you? Jesus. We’re sinners; I’m a sinner. I don’t deserve any promise of God fulfilled in my life. How can I count on the promises of God being fulfilled in my life? One thing: Christ died for me. Christ bought every promise for me. This is the new covenant. Christ shed his blood so that I can pick anywhere in the Bible and say, “I’ll take that promise for today.”

“I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

“The Lord will fight for you” (Exodus 14:14).

“God will supply every need of yours” (Philippians 4:19).

I can pick that promise. Why? Because I’m deserving? No way. Because Jesus is deserving, and I trust Jesus, and he gives it to me.

Cling to God’s Truth

And let me close now with a couple of illustrations. We’ve got three missionary families that have gone out from this church who are walking through the darkest waters of eviction from Tanzania, this very moment, that we’ve ever had. And put yourself in their shoes right now. They’ve been given a thirty-day notice: “Get out of here with all your families and all your belongings.” It’s the only home their children have ever known. Denise wrote to us last Easter. She wrote the email the night before Easter. And this is what she said. She’s picturing the disciples between Good Friday and Easter.

They are sitting quietly and numbly at someone’s house . . . and they don’t know about the resurrection that is to come. That’s what this time feels like to us in many ways: darkness and an unknown future. Out of the blue, we’re packing up and leaving the country, our home for the last seven years, the only home our children have known.

Now ask yourself, what are the sins threatening here? Here are the ones I thought of: anger, despair, self-pity, fear, impatience, irritability. Those are a few sins that would threaten to rise up in these missionaries right now. Now listen to one of these warriors — Denise — in her email, as an embodiment of this sermon. She begins by saying, “We are clinging to these truths.” Do you hear it? “We are clinging to truth.” No vague notion of a God out there. We are clinging to particular truths.

We are clinging to these truths: God is good; he is in control; he loves us more than we can comprehend; and he has plans to give us a hope and a future, plans to prosper us (Jeremiah 29:11). Our spirits are understandably low. We are emotionally and physically exhausted. But “because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22–23).

And thus, she puts to death the deeds of the body.

How Faith Speaks to Fear

One more illustration: Rich and Tricia were here for several years until they left last year to go to Africa with three small children. They worked with refugees in the community, learning language and so on. They’re going to a country that is so fragile, so hostile, that they can’t name it. And imagine three small children and a young couple going to a destitute land with no infrastructure. The religion is hostile to Christianity. What kinds of things would arise in your mind as you make such an obedient plan? Let me quote from his letter. This is the February newsletter that I got. It’s one of the most powerful applications of this message in a missionary letter — and I’ve read many. All our missionaries get this, I think, and they weave it into their letters, but this one was remarkable:

Whereas the constitution of this country may state one thing, the word of God says, “he who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Where fear says, “What if blank happens?” faith says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). When worry surfaces, faith responds, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27). When doubt and frustration scoff, saying, “They’ll never change; this is a waste of time!” Jesus looks us in the eye and responds, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

Specific, Christ-Spoken Promises

We need to become the kind of people who, when we’re walking across a bridge or walking between offices or walking into a classroom — young people, maybe you’re nervous about some test or something, or you’re walking down the hall, and you wonder, “Yikes, did I wear the wrong color today?” or whatever — “Am I going to be viewed funny?” If you believe God’s right here — “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5), and he says, “All things are possible with me. Trust me. I love you. I will take care of you. I’ll supply all your needs. I died for you. I have counted you righteous” — would you not become a free person? It’s failing to hear specific, Christ-spoken promises moment by moment through the day that lets us sink so badly.

Learn from our missionaries. Learn from the apostle Paul. Put to death the deeds of the body, put to death the flesh, put to death sin by the Spirit — that is, by setting your mind on the things of the Spirit, on the word of God (“hearing with faith”), and trust them. And in this way, peace will come, the Holy Spirit will flow, power will be given, sins will be slain, Satan will be pushed back, and Jesus Christ, who bought all those promises, will be magnified.

[himboholhorse-moving]

10 11 12 20 21 24 30?

10) What are your go-to love songs?

I’m glad you asked because I have a sappy-ass playlist I made. Some of those songs include:

“Oh, It Is Love” by Hellogoodbye

“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Valli

“I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do” by ABBA

“Heaven Is A Place On Earth” by Belinda Carlisile

“Can I Have This Dance” from High School Musical 3 (don’t @ me)

“Lovebug” by the JoBros

“Did I Say That Out Loud?” by Barenaked Ladies

“I Swear” by All-4-One. 

Am sappy.

11) Are you more of a flirt or a hopeless romantic?

OH HOPELESS ROMANTIC BIG TIME. I won’t even know if someone is flirting with me or they think I’m flirting with them. I am HORRIBLY oblivious to that kinda stuff kjdshfkjd

12) What would be your ideal date?

OOF I have a few ideas. Picnic under the stars; seeing a movie either at home or the theater with LOTS of snacks; going to the aquarium; having a big bonfire with s’mores; visiting a planetarium... those are a few I can think of ! Nothing too big or extravagant

20) Is there someone in your life you have been trying to get over?

I had my fair share of crushes on my friends here at college but I’ve since gotten over all of those honestly fhksjdfs it’ll occupy my thoughts for a good while but then eventually I’m like “eh” -- or “are you only crushing because they show you basic acts of human kindness” RIP -- and move on

21) What is your favorite quote or lyric about love?

Is it bad I don’t have one. Fjdfjksf real talk I was pushed VERY much to not like, Not Date Until High School by my father and dating was never a huge concern to me anyway. It just wasn’t something that was ever a top priority or something I concerned myself with, like I DID have crushes obviously but I never acted upon them because of my fear of rejection WHOOPS RIP but now I’m in a weird place of “I’m fine with not dating” and also “God I wanna date someone rn” SO...

But yeah there are none that come to mind despite me being like, a huge ass hopeless romantic sjdfhksjf

24) What is your favorite rom-com?

I had to remind myself what movies are considered rom-coms because it’s a VERY weird line. But I LOVE “Roman Holiday” so much... I’ll also say “Berkeley Square” from 1933 and “Smilin’ Through” from 1932 even tho they’re both romantic dramas but there IS some comedy in them... Those made me cry like a mf... Leslie Howard I hate you bitch. “The Philadelphia Story” is also a fave. Cary Grant-Kate Hepburn-James Stewart??? WHAT A TRIO. LOVE THOSE BITCHES

30) What’s your type in a potential romantic partner?

God honestly I’m the kind of person that needs to be friends with someone first before I start feeling like, ANY kind of romantic feelings. Which is part of the reason why I detest dating apps, it’s a personal preference but I can’t just like. hit someone up right off the bat ya know. I gotta get a feel for their personality and if we’d even be compatible as friends BEFORE romance even comes up. I can’t be goin on great dates with someone only to find out they’re a Trump supporter I can’t risk that...

Also dating apps make me paranoid bc I don’t wanna like. Get Dead u know. There’s some weird people out there. Also also, most of the dudes on Tinder where I am are in the military so jdhfdkjfjds

Thank u for asking !!

Send me some romantic asks !

#anonymous #asks #ask games #my mom did 23 years w a man in the military so me n my sis didn't have to shfjkdf #she ran so we could walk #but YEA I don't have like. a favorite quote or lyric about love. that I can think of anyway. Never Really Thot About Those Much #yes I'm a hopeless romantic. yes I listen to love songs. no I don't think about romance a lot we exist #Anonymous

[salty-ofthe-earth]

Hi! I’m a life long Lutheran but Catholic-school attending girl, and I’m pretty religious (I’m confirmed and am very trusting in my faith). My New Year’s resolution this year was to pray more, which I’ve been successful in so far, but I was just wondering if you had any tips on how to pray. I also notice that I’m kind of a more casual prayer? Is that a bad thing? ❤️

First off, it’s great that you want to start praying more! Before gettinginto any tips for praying, I just want to give a few definitions of prayer thatare helpful to keep in mind. These definitions from saints are not exhaustiveon what prayer is, but they help to capture the idea behind prayer and show howpeople who lived lives of prayer thought about it.

“For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned towardheaven, it is a cry or recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.”-St. Therese of Lisieux, quoted in CCC2558

“Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting ofgood things from God.” – St. John Damascene, quoted inCCC 2259

Also, it is not a bad thing to be casual in prayer if by that you mean thatyou talk to God familiarly or that your prayer is often spontaneous rather thanplanned. It is good, however, to have some structure in some of your prayer toboth make sure that you are consistent in it and that you learn how to love Godproperly.

I hope these tips help! (Click the “Keep reading” button for a more in-depth explanation of each point.)

Remember that prayer is a dialogue.

Make time for prayer.

Talk to God like a child, because He is your Father.

Talk to God like He is God.

Don’t neglect the Our Father.

Don’t be afraid to change things up in prayer!

Finally, don’t get discouraged!

Remember that prayer is a dialogue.

So, this is something that is said a lot but is not often explained.Essentially what this means is that in prayer you should remember both to talkto God and to let Him talk to you. I think you talking to God is obvious, butwhat does it mean to let God talk to you? Well, it mostly means that you haveto listen. And in order to listen for God’s voice, you first have to be docileto His promptings. Like the prophet Samuel, you have to say “Speak, Lord, forthy servant hears,” (1Samuel3:9) and then be quiet, both exteriorly and interiorly. Try to eliminateexternal noise and quiet your mind, fixing your attention on God. If you havetrouble concentrating, it can be helpful to mentally imagine some moment fromOur Lord’s life, look upon a cross or crucifix, and slowly and quietly repeatsome short phrase or word such as “Jesus” or “Speak, Lord, your servant islistening.” It is important to be quiet and attentive because although Godsometimes speaks loudly, such as when he answered Moses in thunder on Mt. Sinai(Exodus19:19), more often He speaks to us quietly, like when Elijah heard Him in“a still small voice,” (1Kings 19:12). When you do hear God, it most likely will not be in the formof actual spoken words, but in the form of subtle mental promptings andthoughts. You also listen to God when you read Scripture. The Bible is theliving word of God which He uses to speak to us in our hearts. This often takesthe form of specific passages suddenly sticking out to you or taking on a newmeaning to you as you read them again. As St. Ambrose said, “we speak to him[God] when we pray; we listen to him when we read the divine oracles[Scripture],” (quoted inCCC 2653).

Make time for prayer.

It is good to pray to God spontaneously throughout the day, and evenimportant to do so, since we are told to “pray constantly” by St. Paul (1Thessalonians 5:17). It is also important to plan out and make time in ourday for prayer. When you have a relationship with another person, whether it beplatonic or romantic, if you don’t make time for him and only talk to him whenit is convenient for you to do so or when you feel like it, he will recognizequickly that he isn’t a priority to you; he may even begin to suspect that yousimply care about the pleasures and benefits you get from knowing him. The samegoes for your relationship with God. Setting aside time every day in ourschedules shows that God really is a priority in our lives and helps us to makeHim a priority if He isn’t already. We can show God that He is, and learn tomake Him, the center of our lives by scheduling our day around the time we setaside specifically for being with Him. I recommend setting aside at least halfan hour every day for prayer and only prayer. And don’t miss it. Don’t have anydistractions around: no phone, no music, no TV, no computer (if you use yourphone to access Scripture, that is ok, but make sure you turn off notificationsand don’t use it for anything that is not prayer related). Just you and God,and don’t miss it for the world. It’s ok to move it around in your schedule ifyou need to, but try to make sure that no matter what you make that timeavailable for prayer only.

Talk to God like a child, because He is your Father.

This is close to the cliché of “Talk to God like a friend,” but I would beremiss if I did not say that you should not be afraid of speaking familiarlywith God. Talk to Him about your day, how you are feeling, problems that arestressing you out, things that you enjoyed and made you happy. He wants to hearthis stuff in the same way that loving parents want to hear about their child’sday at school. The kid may do the same stuff everyday but the parents don’t gettired of asking “What did you do today in school?” Furthermore, be bold in yourprayer, knowing that you are a child of God and He will hear you (Mt.7:7-12). Your intimacy with God should make you bold in what you ask ofHim, like Abraham was bold in pleading for Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis18:22:33) and Christ was bold in what He asked of the Father (John17).

Talk to God like He is God.

Even though you should feel comfortable talking to God familiarly, like achild to a parent, you should also remember to praise, adore, and worship Himas God. Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God Himself prayed both with afilial boldness and familiarity, and addressed the Father in His greatness asthe God and Creator of the universe (see Mt.11:25-26, Lk10:21). We also see that the constant prayer of the angels and saints inheaven is one of constant adoration and praise of God (see Revelation4).

Don’t neglect the Our Father.

While I’m at it, don’t neglect formulaic prayer in general. When Jesustaught his disciples how to pray, He did not tell them to simply use whateverwords feel right; He told them “Pray like this: Our Father who art in heaven,hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is inheaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as weforgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, butdeliver us from evil,” (Mt6:9-13; Lk11:1-4). If Jesus gave us these words to pray with, then it is importantthat we pray them. Part of the purpose of formulaic and liturgical prayer is toform us in how to love God properly.

True prayer begins with the humble acknowledgement that “we do not know howto pray as we ought,” (Romans8:26) and the acceptance of God’s grace and aid in the form of His Spirit,who dwells within us and “helps us in our weakness,” (Romans 8:26). St. Paul tellsus that “[w]hen we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is the Spirit himself bearingwitness with our spirit that we are children of God,” (Romans6:15-16). When we say the Our Father prayerfully, making the words that wesay promptings for the thoughts, sentiments, and actions of the heart and will,then it is the Holy Spirit who prays within us, drawing us closer to God andteaching us to love Him as He wants to be loved. Because of this, it is alsohelpful for us to meditate on the words and ideas contained in the Our Father.If you would like an explanation of the various parts of the Our Father or ameditation on prayer using the Lord’s prayer as a model, I highly recommend thelast section of the Catechismof the Catholic Church on prayer, and St. Cyprian of Carthage’streatise on the Our Father.

What I just said about the Our Father is also true for many liturgical andformulaic prayers, such as the VeniCreator Spiritus, or an Act ofContrition. This is especially true, however, for three kinds of formulaicprayers: the Our Father, the Mass, and the Psalms and canticles in Scripture.We have already discussed the Our Father, and I will not write at length about thevalue of the Mass as prayer because it would take far too long to go into. Iwill say, however, that although you are Lutheran, and not Catholic, I stillrecommend that you pay attention to the Catholic Mass and the way that theprayer is structured as well as the contents of the prayers. Much of it comesfrom Scripture and is informed by the ancient tradition of the Church. You canfind the order of the current ordinary form mass hereand the extraordinary form here.

The Psalms and canticles in Scripture also hold an important place in thelife of prayer, because, like the Our Father, they are inspired prayers whichGod has given to us. St. Paul even recommends the use of praying with psalms (Colossians3:16). The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that “[t]he Psalteris the book in which The Word of God becomes man’s prayer,” (CCC 2587). The manydifferent kinds of prayer contained within the Psalms makes the Psalter one ofthe greatest aids in prayer. By praying the Psalms we direct our hearts to beconformed to the Word of God in a more personal way. When we pray with thePsalms often, we even begin to express ourselves using their language andexpressions, that is, the language and expressions of prayer that God has givenus. St. Paul even recommend to the Ephesians that they “[address] one anotherin psalms,” (Ephesians5:19).

When I first began to start praying more, a number of years ago, I read abook, or article or something, that said something like “You shouldn’t praywith formulaic prayers in your personal prayer because God wants your words,not someone else’s.” I thought this made sense at the time, but as I began topray more, I realized that formulaic prayer helped me to better express myselfto God and it helped teach me how to pray. The author of that article, however,did have a point in one way. When praying with formulaic prayers, it is essentialto make the words of the prayer truly our own, lest they become empty words (Matthew6:7).

This was a long section, but I hope you get the idea: Pray the Our Fatherand the Psalms!

Don’t be afraid to change things up in prayer!

I was recently reminded of this tip by one of Fulton Sheen’s talks(if you haven’t listened to anything by Ven. Sheen, the former Archbishop ofNew York, who won an Emmy, I highly recommend you do). What I mean by this isbe willing to change the way you pray when what you have been doing just isn’tworking for you. Maybe Ignatian contemplation, where you picture yourself in ascene from Scripture, has worked really well for you in the past, but as youcontinue doing it, it doesn’t seem to aid you in prayer. In that case, it mightbe time to try a different method of prayer and see if that helps. Rememberthat various methods of prayer are simply aids in facilitating prayer. Theheart of prayer is your intimate communion with God, so if something isn’thelping facilitate that, you don’t need to hold on to it. Sometimes holdingonto a specific method of prayer when it just isn’t helping us really pray canbe an obstacle in the spiritual life. That being said, if some method ishelpful, then feel free to stick to it as long as it is! Don’t feel obligatedto try a bunch of different methods of prayer just because they are out there.There are plenty of resources out there for ways of praying and you can findsome here:

Ignatian meditation and contemplation

The 10 mediations from St. Francis de Sales’s Introduction to the Devout Life

The rosary

Meditations on the stations of the cross

Lectio Divina (a way of meditating on Scripture)

NB: It is good to keep one or two devotions that you always stick to,even if doing them gets really dry and it doesn’t feel like it is working. Thiscan be something like praying the rosary every day or praying the DivineMercy Chaplet. Keeping something like this helps keep some structure toyour prayer life and makes sure that you have something you are doing that says“God, I am going to do this thing out of love for You every day, regardless ofwhether I feel like it or not.”

Finally, don’t get discouraged!

It is essential in your prayer life that you not get discouraged. The devilwants nothing more than to keep you from prayer, so it will get hard. You willbe tempted to stop praying regularly. You will get distracted and go throughperiods when you feel nothing in prayer. You may even have times when prayingis the last thing you want to do, but, in reality, it is the most importantthing to do. If you mess up and sin, don’t be afraid of turning back to God; Hestill loves you and wants to talk to you. If you fall away for a while and stoppraying, don’t be afraid to start again; God still loves you and wants to talkto you. If you have been praying and praying, but feel like God had abandonedyou, don’t stop praying; God still loves you and wants to talk to you. OftenGod allows us to undergo trials and dryness (having no good feelings) in prayerto purify our love for Him. He draws away consolations and good feelings inprayer so that we learn to pray out of love for Him and not love for the goodfeelings we get when we pray. In fact, extended periods of dry prayer areessential to growing close to God according to many of the spiritual masters ofthe Church (St. John of the Cross, TheDark Night of the Soul, 1.VIII.3). Often dry prayer is the mostfruitful, drawing us even closer to God through the purification of our lovefor Him.

Certainly, this is not everything to say about prayer and there is alwaysmore to learn about growing in intimacy with God, but I hope that these tipsare a helpful start! (Also, the admins are sorry it has taken us to long toanswer this question.)

#prayer

[corneliastan13]

Three gifts he gave her on purpose and one he did not.

Three gifts he gave her on purpose and one he did not.

So I had seen this post on Tumblr which I can’t find anymore. But I got inspired to write a story. Three gifts Tony has given Ziva on purpose and one he did not. I hope you like it.

Note: English is not my first language, so I’m sorry if there are any mistakes. I did the best I could.

It has been a few weeks since her return to DC, from that hellhole. So many things have happened and many things she doesn’t want to remember. She wants to forget what happened in Somalia. But the term trying to forget something or someone is so awful. Because you’re never going to forget something when you’re trying to forget it.

There is this one night in the bullpen. They had just wrapped up a case. A fairly difficult one. No one is in the bullpen anymore. Everyone went gone home to their respective families. Her family is NCIS, Gibbs, Tony, McGee, Abby, Ducky and Jimmy. She doesn’t have a husband nor children. But she was fine with that.

She walks out of the ladies room. Tony had just left the building a few minutes ago. They had said goodbye. She told him that she too was going home. But needed to use the ladies room first. She walks back to her desk, to grab her bag and jacket and go home. She looks at her desk. Something is different. It takes her a few seconds to process that there is a small jewelry box waiting for her on her desk. She looks around the bullpen. There is no one left. She moves closer to her desk and grabs the small box. Slowly she opens the small box. Her gaze meets a golden necklace with a Star of David charm. Did he give her this gift? He has probably noticed that she isn’t wearing her old necklace anymore. The one that Saleem took. This new necklace is simple and beautiful and she couldn’t have asked for more. She puts the necklace around her neck. It looks pretty. For a split second she is so caught up in her own world. She needs to thank him. She almost grabs her phone and decides to call him, but he is most likely driving home so he wouldn’t answer her call. In the end, she settles on a note. She grabs a pen and a small notepad and writes him a thank you note, she leaves it on his desk. Sure he finds it tomorrow morning.

…

"Can I show you something?" He asks her while they are sitting in the break room. Yesterday she had found his boarding school picture and since that, he has been acting strange, different. She can’t pinpoint what it is exactly. So when he asks her if he can show her something she says "Yes"

He shows her a photo of a very young beautiful woman with a kid. "Is this your mother?" she asks him a question while she already knows the answer.

"Yes" He answers simply.

“Wow she was--really beautiful,” she tells him. They discuss his mother. "This was the last movie we ever saw together. Right before she---” “The Little Prince" He tells her. "That what is essential is invisible to the eye," she quotes the book. She had read it when she was a little girl. It used to be one of her favourite books. She remembered those night where her and Tali would read to book together, in their bedroom. She sees the look on his face once she spoke these words. "Ziva David did you just quote a movie?" he asks her kind of shocked by her responds. "No.” “I quoted a book that was made into a movie"

The conversation ends, but it was a big step into unexplored territory.

The next day he is in the grocery store picking up some groceries. It has been a while since he made himself some home cooked pasta and he is dying for it. As he walks past the Book and DVD section, he can’t help but look for the Little Prince. They had discussed it yesterday and he might be fooling himself but that conversation really did something with him. So when he finally finds the book, he grabs it and looks at it for a few seconds, deciding if he should buy it or not. Oh, who was he kidding?

Once he is back home, he wraps the book in some wrapping paper. Should he go by her apartment now, or after dinner? Tony DiNozzo, the man who picks up women left and right can’t make a decision if he should drop the present off at his partners place now or after dinner.

In the end he settles on after dinner, so he has some more time to think about what he is going to say. If she would question him.

He has just finished dinner and was heading out the door with the present underneath his arm. It is only a ten minute drive but it felt like an eternity. He stands there outside her apartment door, finding the courage to knock on the damn door. This shouldn’t be this difficult.

He knocks on her door and a few seconds later she opens it. Her hair is down and she is wearing yoga pants and he doesn’t mind it at all, because she looks so good.

"Tony! What are you doing here?" she asks him, because yes it’s late at night.

"Sooo… yesterday when we discussed my mom…" He can’t finish his sentence completely. Not knowing what to say. "So, I was in the grocery store today and I found this so I thought you mind appreciate this" he says as he handed the gift over.

She looks at him full confusion. "Tony, what is this?"

"Just open it."

She walks away from the door to the living room, he closes the door and follows her. She sits on the couch looking at the present she had just been given. She unwraps it and sees that it is a book. The Little Prince. Tears are starting to form in his partner’s eyes. "Thank you Tony, this is really sweet of you" she says. And welcomes him in her warm embrace.

….

He is packing his bags while she’s in the kitchen making him dinner. She breaks his heart. He is going back to DC alone. While all he wants is to stay with her. She tells him she needs to do this alone. He does his best to convince her otherwise, that she can do this in DC and they can be together, but he has no luck. His clothes are spread all over the bed. He grabs his Ohio state sweatshirt last. No, he thinks, he can’t pack it. So he decides that it is best to leave it here, with her. Because maybe she can find the comfort in it. Just like he did years ago.

So he does his best to hide his shirt. So that she won’t find it immediately. It is his gift to her.

Ziva returns home from the airport. The house feels so empty, he isn’t there, anymore. And the strangest part is that it had never felt this empty before. She looks around her bedroom., what to do next? She drops her jacket on the bed. Cleaning maybe? Taking a shower. So she can begin to forget that he was here. But in the end she does none of these things. She strips off her clothes and slips into bed. The bed she shared with the men she loves, the most. She closes her eyes and drifts off in an unrestful sleep.

Getting out of bed is a disaster. Because his scent is everywhere, she can still feel his arms around her. After a while she decides on taking a shower. And cleaning up the house.

As she is vacuuming her bedroom she notices some sort of fabric laying underneath her bed. She stops and looks underneath her bed. She grabs the fabric and unfolds it. It is his Ohio State sweatshirt. Did he leave this here by accident, or on purpose? Tears stream down her face as she holds his sweatshirt closer to smell it. Oh God, she loves him all the more for it.

…

It is her birthday and she has to admit that she isn’t feeling like herself for a few weeks. She wakes up nauseous and tired and it is hard to get of bed each day. She decides to buy a pregnancy test. She has been thinking about it, even though the doctors told her no. They told her she can’t have children.

It is the longest five minutes of her life. She keeps staring at her watch, unsuccessfully willing time to go faster. When the minute hand moves and her watch tells her that it has been five minutes, she picks up the test in front of her. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

It is going to be negative. You just have a flu, just take better care of yourself, you will be fine. She opens her eyes. Two pink lines. That means pregnant, right? No she can’t be. The doctors told her she can’t have any children, of her own. She picks up the box and reads the instruction again. Two pink lights means pregnant.

It has been a few days since her discovery, and the doctor confirms her pregnancy. She has been in shock and the worst thing is that she feels like she doesn’t deserve this gift. This baby is half hers and half’s Tony’s. A baby convinced out of love. What would his reaction be? Would he want to become a father?

There are many nights where she sits alone on her couch. Thinking about all the wrong and bad things in life. How she is going to bring a child in this world so full of hate? She thinks it is selfish to want this happiness.

Soon, her clothes do not fit anymore, and she needs to buy maternity clothes. She decides to start wearing his sweatshirt, as pyjama, because it smells like him and fits her small body perfectly. One morning she spills yogurt on his Ohio State sweatshirt and she needs to wash it. She knows it is selfish but that simple act makes her cry, because it does not smell like him anymore.

Tali is the light of her life. The little girl looks just like her father. Her eyes, she has his eyes, the emerald green eyes that she fell in love with nearly a decade ago. One morning she wakes up, her daughter lying beside her, in bed. "Ima?" the little girl asks. Ziva opens her eyes. She stares into her daughter’s eyes. The little girl is smiling. She is looking at her pajamas. "Beautiful" she comments as she is touching the letters on his old sweatshirt. "Abba?" the girl wonders. "Yes, my darling, this was Abba’s". The little girl smiles and creeps closer. Moving the sweatshirt up, so she could reach what she is looking for. Even though Tali is eighteen months old she is still breastfeeding. Because she loves the intimate, quality time with her daughter.

A few days later Ziva is cleaning her bedroom. Tali sits on her mother’s bed. She is looking for her father’s old sweatshirt and finds it underneath her mother’s pillow. She tries her very best to unsuccessfully put it on. It is way too heavy and big for her. But that doesn’t matter because it’s Abba’s. "Ima look" the little girl says to her mother.

Ziva looks around and sees her daughter standing on the bed with her father’s sweatshirt on. Tears are starting to form in her eyes. Because when she looks at her daughter she sees Tony. The man on the other side of the world and even though they are oceans apart. This is the best gift he has ever given to her. Their daughter.

#ncis #tiva #tivafanfiction #zivadavid #tony dinozzo #cote de pablo #micheal weatherly #fanfiction

[lisagintexas]

Is God’s law bondage?

I met a lady recently who had grown up in a Protestant church, but started having questions about some of the teachings. She started reading the Bible from the beginning on her own to find answers to her questions. She began to find different conclusions about what the Bible said compared to what she had been taught her whole life.

Some of her conclusions were that she should be keeping the Sabbath on the seventh day as the commandment says. She also concluded the law of God given through Moses to Israel was not done away as she thought, but still the law for all believers to follow.

As she became convicted of this she spoke with other Christian friends thinking if she shared her newfound knowledge with them, they would agree and be just as excited as she was about these outlooks.

However, this is not what she found. In fact, she had one friend tell her she was returning to bondage in following the laws of God. Is this what the Bible teaches? Are the laws of God bondage? What does the Bible say concerning bondage?

Exodus talks about the cruel bondage that the Israelites were suffering under as slaves to Egyptians. Exodus 1:15 says, “And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigor.” Exodus 6:5 says, “And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.” This example reveals bondage is slavery. If you are a slave you do not have freedom to do what you want, whether your desires are good or bad, you have no freedom to make choices. God also remembers the covenant he made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and has compassion for Israel in their groaning.

The phrase “house of bondage” is used in Exodus 20:2 saying “I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for over 400 years. Slavery was bondage to a way of life contrary to Gods way (filled with worship of pagan deities) and God freed them from Egypt and the house of bondage so that they could serve Him. Moses continually told Pharaoh, “Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.” Freedom from Egypt, bondage and slavery was so the Israelites could serve God.

Bondage is referred to in Ezra, Nehemiah and Isaiah speaking of the bondage they experienced under the Babylonians and the Persians. God freed them also from this bondage bringing them back to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls and the temple.

In the New Testament the first place bondage is referred to is John 8:31-34 when Jeshua says “to those Jews which believed on him, if you continue in my word, then you are my disciples indeed; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. They answered him, We are Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how say you, You will be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, whosoever commits sin is the servant of sin”. Now Jeshua is speaking of bondage as being one who is a slave to sin, not to a man. He is accusing them of being in slavery because they were living sinful lives. Sin is disobedience to God’s law. Paul says in Romans 7:7 “Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law.” And John says, “whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law, for sin is the transgression of God’s law.” (1 John 3:4). God’s law teaches what is sin, but if we disobey God’s law, if we sin, we are now in bondage according to Jeshua. When Paul speak of the law, he is referring to the Torah (Hebrew for law), the first five books of the Bible. The Torah is where God gave all his instruction on how to live, and therefore what is sin. So sin is disobedience to the Torah, the written law of God.

In Acts 7:6-7 Stephen recalls Israel’s bondage to the Egyptians, and God bringing them out to serve him. Egypt is a type or parallel of sin. Egypt was bondage to other gods and their ways, and coming out of Egypt gave Israel the freedom to serve and obey the one true God.

Paul says, “For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Rom. 8:15). The spirit of bondage is the fleshly man who does not desire to obey God. Paul says in Romans 8:7-8, “the fleshly man is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be...but you are not in the flesh but in the spirit, if indeed the spirit of God dwells in you.” We are given the spirit of adoption, this is the spirit of God which leads us to obedience to God’s laws, and thereby we are called the sons of God. (Romans 8:9-17). Paul also explains this in Romans 6 teaching we are not to continue in sin but we are to be slaves of righteousness. We are therefore set free from sin, we are slaves or servants of God. Our fruit is holiness and our end is the gift of eternal life. (Romans 6:22-23)

So far we have established the scriptures teach bondage is to Egypt, to sin, to the fleshly desires. God’s law is not bondage; serving and obeying God is freedom. The spirit of God leads us to that freedom and to be obedient to God’s laws thus becoming the children of God.

Galatians 4:9 is the scripture used in which my friend was accused of returning to bondage. It says, “But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?” Let’s look at the letter Paul wrote to the Galatians to try to understand what he is talking about. Paul initially says believers are turning to a perverted gospel of Christ. (Gal. 1:7). In Galatians 2:4 he says “false brethren secretly came in to spy out our liberty in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us to bondage”. What was this bondage? He mentions in Gal. 1:3-5 that Titus, being a Greek was not compelled to be circumcised, saying “the truth of the gospel might continue with you.”

To understand what Paul was talking about one needs to understand Judaism. Judaism is not just the teaching of the Tenach, (the Old Testament) but also includes the oral Law which is what Jews believe was given to Moses and passed down from generation to generation orally and compiled in the 200-220 AD called the Mishnah. This is often referred to by Jeshua as the traditions of the elders. Jeshua sometimes spoke against their traditions saying, “for laying aside the commandments of God, you hold to the traditions of men...you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.” (Mark 7:8-9).

In Galatians 2:11-13, Paul blames Peter who would eat with the Gentiles until other Jews came and then he withdrew. Why would he do this? The oral law, or traditions, did not allow Jews to eat with Gentiles. However, there is nothing in the Tenach teaching this. Even Jeshua went against their traditions when he ate with tax collectors and sinners and was questioned by the Pharisees, his fellow Jews. (Matthew 9:9-13). Many of the accusations against Jeshua was because he was not following the oral teachings.

Paul spoke to Peter saying “why do you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as Jews, compel the Gentiles to live as Jews? We, who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles...”. What is he talking about? Both Peter and Paul were Jews, by nature, born Jews and raised in Judaism. However, through the teaching of Jeshua, they rejected many of the traditions of the elders, the oral law, recognizing at times it was not according to the law of God or was additions to God’s law. God’s law (the Torah) defines sin, not the oral traditions of the Jews. But as Paul says, they are not sinners of the Gentiles. They are obedient to the law of God, not sinners like the Gentiles, but they were not in bondage to the oral law of the Jews.

Paul talks about “works of the law” verses “justified by faith” and says, “But that no one is declared righteous (justified) by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith.’” This is quoted from Habakkuk 2:4. He also quotes Leviticus 18:5 saying “the law is not of faith, but ‘the man who does them shall live by them.’” No works will justify you, make you right, forgiven of your sins, before God. That is not the purpose of the law. The righteous or just live by faith. But what is faith? Belief in God is evidenced by obedience to His law. James says, “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). So although works do not justify you, if you don’t have works you are not living by faith. And Paul says, “if while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves are found sinners, is Christ a minister of sin? Certainly not!” (Gal. 2:17) So we can’t be justified by Christ, forgiven of our sins, and continue to sin, be disobedient to God’s law.

Paul says, speaking to the Galatians who were Gentiles, when they were children they “were in bondage under the elements of the world” (Gal. 4:3). Of course they were, as they did not know God, and they lived as all other Gentiles, a sinful life. He says, “But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods” (Gal. 4:8). He is speaking of paganism, the worship of other gods. He continues, “but now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire to again be in bondage? You observe days, and months and seasons and years” (Gal. 4:9). Why are they wanting to turn back to idolatry, paganism, and a life of sin...bondage? These days, months, etc are not God’s feast days as instructed in the Torah (Lev. 23), but pagan practices of which are many holidays associated with gods that are not the one true God. He was correcting them for sinful practices they were going back to. Christianity has adopted many pagan days like Christmas which is based on the pagan celebration of Saturnalia, and pagan gods like Mithra, the sun god, whose birthday was considered December 25. Also, Easter, based on the goddess of fertility, with eggs and rabbits. These are “weak and beggerly” days, not holy days like God’s feast days, which He calls His appointed times. They are based on the worship of Him and what He says to do. He does not approve of his people adopting pagan, idolatrous ways from the nations to worship Him. (Deuteronomy 12:29-32)

Paul’s final exhortation is “stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage...every man who becomes circumcised is a debtor to keep the whole law” (Gal. 5:1-3). Why is he saying this? Because Judaism required you to be circumcised and keep the whole law (written and oral) to be righteous before God. God’s law does not teach this. The liberty we have is freedom from sin through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It writes the law of God on our hearts and minds (Heb. 10:16-17). Paul says at the end of Galatians, “for not even those who are circumcised keep the law...for in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.” (Gal. 6:13-15). Paul is critical of the Jews who do not even obey God’s law. Circumcision therefore is meaningless, since God’s desire is that they obey. A new creation is God’s desire. We are to become holy as obedient children, no longer walking in sin as we did before we knew God. (1 Pet. 1:13-16).

Paul’s letter to the Gentiles is quite relevant for today. There are Christians recognizing the pagan, idolatrous ways that are a part of Christianity. They are also understanding we should be obedient to God’s law, no longer believing that it is done away. Christianity mixed paganism with the worship of God as the religion developed in the 2nd-4th centuries. It also turned from obedience to God’s law, just as Israel did. Judaism places many burdens on people which God did not instruct in His written Torah. God’s Torah is a blessing to mankind and should not be added to or taken away. (Deut. 4:2) Traditions are often not a problem, but are man made, not God’s instruction. Let’s make sure as Christians we are not involved in idolatrous pagan practices. Instead we should study the Torah so that we may live by it, and walk in the Spirit so we are faithful and holy to our God.

[godly-habits011497]

"And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.'' ( Galatians 4:6-7 )

[islamthewayforward]

Hazrat Ali (radiyallahu anh) – The Fourth Caliph of Islam

The fourth and last of the Hulefa-i Rasidin is the hero of courage and compassion, knowledge and enlightenment, whom our Prophet raised as a common child, then married his most beloved daughter to the son-in-law;

The Introduction

Our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), saying this appreciated the value and his affection with Hazrat Ali – radiyallahu anh:

"Ali is from me and that I am from Ali." (Ali el-Muttaki, XIII, 143-144)

He stated his position in the science of shari'ah and marifet by saying;

"I am the town of science, and Ali is that the gate of that town."

Hazrat Ali – radiyallahu anh is the father of Hasan and Hussain Efendi, and the dearest companion of the war and exalted squares.

Hazrat Ali - radiyallahu anh, who has a high position in the horizon of science and knowledge constituted the second branch of the golden range.

Hazrat Ali - radiyallahu anh, together with the esteemed daughter of our Prophet, Fatima radiyallahu anha, established a blessed home in which his food was ascetic and pious. This poor house, which our Prophet himself raised in the Tawheed, was a table of spirituality that witnessed unique disclaimers and sacrifices.

The Devotion of Hazrat Ali

The following example is enough to express the vast devotion of Hazrat Ali - radiyallahu anh, about whom the Prophet ordered "Sultanu'l-Eshıya", that is, the "Sultan of the Generates":

Based on the narration from Ibn Abbas -radıyallahu anhuma-, Ata (rahimehullah) says:

“Hazrat Ali -radıyallahu anh- had watered a date palm for some barley one night. In the morning, he took the barley, which was his fee, and came to his house. They grinded one-third of the barley he brought and made a dish called “Hazira”. When the meal was cooked, a poor person came and asked for lillah / Allah. They also gave it all for Allah.

Then they grind the second third of the barley and cooked it. When the meal was cooked, this time an orphan came and said in the same way “lillâh” and asked for food.

And the last third of the barley left was ground and cooked again. When the meal was cooked, a prisoner came and asked for something. They gave him their last meal and spent that day hungry.

According to another rumor; They gave their iftar meals to the poor, orphans, and captives for three consecutive days, and they had their fast with water. Thereupon, the following verses were sent down:

“They give their food to the poor, orphans, and captives, though they all are in need, just to be at Allah's approval and say:“ We give this to you simply for the sake of Allah. We expect neither a response nor a thank you. We are afraid of our Lord (of suffering His torment) in a difficult and troublesome day. (they say) . Allah will protect them from the disasters of that day, and give them light to their faces and joy to their hearts. " (al- Insan, 8-11) (Wahidi, Asbabu Nuzul, p. 470; Zemahseri, el-Kessaf, VI, 191-192; Razi, XXX, 244)

The Bravery Of Hazrat Ali

Although the preparations for assassination was known in the migration, Hazrat Ali lay down on the Prophet's bed without hesitation; He was an Islamic hero who won the prayer of the Prophet with his bravery on battlefields. In the detachment, that is, in the encounters before the field battles, he always knocked his enemies to the ground, thus;

He was entitled to the nickname «Esedu'llahi'l-galib», that is, «the victorious lion of Allah always». In Khaybar, he dismantled the castle gates, which the enemy was proud of, with the power of faith. This hero, who is so unprecedented in futuwwa and chastity, that is, bravery and courage; the opponent who spits in his face during the war just when he was about to finish;

"Self-destiny interferes with it, the intention of the word of Allah is damaged." He is brave enough to fight against his soul.

Hazret-i Mevlana expresses this unique sensitivity as follows:

My adversary, with one move left; In the face of Hazrat Ali's letting go, he puts his life anxiety aside and asks in amazement and horror:

“–O Ali! Why did you stop when you were just going to kill me? What happened to you from violent rage to indescribable silence? While it was flashing like lightning, you suddenly cleared like a calm air. What is the wisdom of this sudden change? This situation was a mystery to me. "

Hazrat Ali -radiyallahu anh- gives the following answer:

“–I would only jihad within the way of Allah. Again, I hit the heads of the enemies of God for His sake. I never confuse my soul with this either. You wanted to insult and annoy me by spitting in my face. I wish I was furious at that moment; I was going to kill you for a rational reason such as following my soul. However, I will fight for the sake of Allah, not for the satisfaction of my pride. "

In the face of this unique and sincere picture of virtue, that enemy is honored with faith and his dead heart comes to life.

Hazrat Ali, the owner of this high dignity and personality; He became one of the brightest and guiding stars of the Companions, with his knowledge and wisdom, strength and compassion, morality and generosity, and most of all with his distinguished qualities from the Prophet.

The Caliphate of Hazrat Ali

In a twist of fate, this great hero; came to the caliphate at the insistence of the Companions, in a turmoil in which the cauldrons of mischief was boiled and when Hazrat Usman was martyred.

While Hazrat Ali's life of caliphate was exhausted by his effort to put out the fire of conspiracy and mischief that scorched the Islamic world; His life, which started in the Kaaba, ended by drinking a sherbet of martyrdom in Kufah Masjid. As his last words, he made the following bequest to our sons Hassan and Hussein:

“I bequeath you taqwa. Do not demand the world. Do not cry for your loss. Always tell the truth. Act with the Book of Allah. Be the enemy of the wrongdoer, the helper of the oppressed. Do not pay attention to the condemnation of the condemnation regarding the decrees of the religion. " ( See. Ramazanoğlu Mahmud Sâmi, Hz. Aliyyu'l-Murteza, p. 74)

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) about Hulefa-i Rasidin

Our Prophet (peace be upon him) expresses the value of the period of Hulefa-i Rasidin;

He declared a heraldic miracle by saying “(After me) the caliphate of prophethood has been for thirty years…” (Abu Dawud, Sunnah, 8; Ahmed, V, 50, 220, 221) ;

He (PBUH) also reported the total term of duty of four distinguished friends who ruled the ummah with mercy and justice after their death.

The period of the Raşid Caliphs, who followed the blessed footsteps of the Prophet, came to an end with the martyrdom of Hazrat Ali; from now on, in proportion to the heart consistency of the believers and with the temptation of the divine destiny; There have been times, sometimes in weakness, painful and painful, and sometimes in times of grace.

Hazrat Ali Quotes

Let us mention the following principles among many of the Hazrat Ali Quotes, the gate of the city of science:

“The most difficult deeds are four qualities:

1. To forgive in the angry moment.

2. Being generous when you are in need.

3. To be protected from the evil of the soul in closed and secluded places.

4. Telling the truth to anyone who is afraid or expects an advantage. "

The Personal Value

"The value of a person is equivalent to the value of his wishes and desires."

“Of the whole world; The blessings of Islam are surely enough for you. One of your professions, your engagement is enough for you. The death sign is enough for you. "

“As long as four things continue, religion and the world will stand in peace and sound:

1. Unless the rich are stingy with the property given to them.

2. As long as the scholars act with what they learn and know.

3. The ignorant, unless they are proud of what they do not know.

4. As long as the poor do not sell their hereafter to their world. "

“Privacy is better than being grateful.”

“What is it for the son of Adam to brag ?! First is the nut, and the end is jaf! He cannot create his own sustenance, nor can he save himself from destruction. "

“If you want to be a friend with a man, at first stay at a distance from him; If he treats you normally being in this distant situation, continue your friendship or else give up.

“Keep relations with people like that; that If you die, they will cry and if you live, they will miss you. “

"Losing friends is going abroad."

"A seized stone in the building is the guarantee of the demolition of that building."

“The health of the body is dependent upon reducing envy. The enemy of body health is envy. "

“A group of people serve, hoping for something; This is merchant servitude.

A group of people also serve out of fear; this is slavery.

There is also a group of people that; In the form of praise, gratitude and remembrance, he expresses his servitude; This is the servitude of people with taqwa who have gotten away from the attack of all egoistic emotions. "

“There are two blessings, of whom I do not know which makes me happier:

The first is that a person comes to me hoping that I will meet his needs and sincerely asks me for help.

The second is that Allah fulfills or facilitates the wishes of that person through me. I would rather relieve a Muslim's boredom than have the world full of gold and silver. " (Ali el-Muttaki, VI, 598/17049)

The following points were written by Hazrat Ali to Malik bin Haris, whom he appointed governor of Egypt, express the very important truths that apply to every century:

“Don't look at people like the beast looks at the herd! Have feelings of love, compassion and kindness towards them in your heart! Because all people without exception are either brothers in religion or spouses in creation. People can make mistakes, things can happen to them. Take the hand of the dreamer, and if you want Allah's forgiveness for yourself, forgive people, tolerate and forgive them! Never blaspheme against Allah! Never regret your forgiveness! Do not be happy with your punishment! "

“Do not take the stingy, the coward who will break your determination in the face of great deeds, and the greedy people to the advisory committee, which means you will do good by frightening you by falling into poverty!”

“Tell Allah and His Messenger about the issues that you understand that you cannot handle!

Wait for Allah, to His Inscription; What is meant to refer to His Prophet is to apply to His Sunnah."

“Don't be self-righteous, don't give credit to those who praise you against your face! Do not let people know what you do, do not enlarge your work, do not break your promise to them! Coping ends the good, extinguishes the truth, and not keeping his word will attract the hatred of both Halık and the people. "

"Bundles of roses cannot be collected from a field where thorn seeds are sown."

#hazrat ali #hazrat ali quotes #Hazrat ali ul murtaza

[holyisjesus]

He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 🔥who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.🔥 John 1:11‭-‬13 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." John 3:3‭-‬8 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. Romans 8:14‭-‬17 #Christian #Christianity #Jesus #Christ #JesusChrist #faith #HolySpirit #believer #Bible #BibleVerse #HolyBible #word #verse #quote #Truth #Gospel #followJesus #quotes #today #adoption #childofGod #Christians #bornagain #WordOfGod #afternoon #saved #God #amen

#believer #wordofgod #quotes #christians #christ #holybible #bornagain #bible #saved #amen #holyspirit #today #afternoon #truth #bibleverse #jesus #quote #christian #christianity #faith #childofgod #jesuschrist #god #adoption #gospel #verse #word #followjesus

[dailybiblelessons]

The Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Revised Common Lectionary Proper 11 Roman Catholic Proper 16

Complementary Hebrew Scripture from The Twelve Prophets: Zechariah 9:9-12

CONFIRMED

Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!  Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you;  triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt,  the foal of a donkey.¹ He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim  and the war-horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off,  and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea,  and from the River to the ends of the earth.

As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,  I will set our prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to your stronghold,  O prisoners of hope;  today I declare that I will restore to you double.

¹This passage is quoted in Matthew 21:5 and John 12:15, both about Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

Semi-continuous Hebrew Scripture from the Torah: Genesis 28:10-19a

CONFIRMED

Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.¹ And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place–and I did not know it!” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called that place Bethel.

¹This verse is quoted in John 1:51, part of the calling of Nathanael

Complementary Psalm 86:11-17

Teach me your way, O Lord,  that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name. I give thanks to you, O Lord my God,  with my whole heart,  and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me;  you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. O God, the insolent rise up against me;  a band of ruffians seeks my life  and they do not set you before them. But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,  slow to anger  and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Turn to me and be gracious to me;  give your strength to your servant; save the child of your serving girl. Show me a sign of your favor,  so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame,  because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

Semi-continuous Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24

O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up;  you discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down,  and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue,  O Lord, you know it completely. You hem me in, behind and before,  and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;  it is so high that I cannot attain it.

Where can I go from your spirit?  Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there;  if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning  and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,  even there your hand shall lead me,  and your right hand shall hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,  and the light around me become night,”  even the darkness is not dark to you;  the night is as bright as the day,  for darkness is as light to you.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;  test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me,  and lead me in the way everlasting.

New Testament Epistle Lesson: Romans 8:12-25

CONFIRMED

So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ–if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

New Testament Gospel Lesson: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!”

Year A Ordinary 16, RCL Proper 11, Catholic Proper 16 Sunday

Selections are from Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings copyright © 1995 by the Consultation on Common Texts. Unless otherwise indicated, Bible text is from New Revised Standard Version Bible (NRSV) copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Footnotes in the Hebrew Scriptures that show where the passage is used in the Christian Scriptures are based on information from the The Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) by David H. Stern, Copyright © 1998 and 2006 by David H. Stern, used by permission of Messianic Jewish Publishers, www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved worldwide. When text is taken from the CJB, the passage ends with (CJB) and this copyright notice applies. Footnotes in the Christian Scriptures that show where a passage from the Hebrew Scripture is used are from The New International Version Bible ® (NIV®), copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. When text is taken from the NIV, the passage ends with (NIV) and the foregoing copyright notice applies. Image Credit: Satan Sowing Seeds by Félicien Rops, via Wikimedia Commons. This is a public domain image.

#A Ordinary 16 Sunday #hope #restoration #Jacob's ladder #patience #parable #parable of weeds in the field #parables of Jesus

[johnchiarello]

Sunday sermon

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 [TODAY’S POST BEGINS HERE]

 9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Rev. 5

 Sunday sermon videos-

https://youtu.be/In1JzIX7Ga4 

https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMhjeyKELfs9QBZPf5

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wxlvzknrcmfxk7i/6-18-17%20C.U.-%20Mass.mp4?dl=0

https://ccoutreach87.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/6-18-17-c-u-mass.zip

https://ccoutreach87.com/6-18-17-c-u-mass/ 

 Sunday sermon video for 11-25-18- [Though this a ‘re-post’ I did add the verses for this video in the verses section at the bottom of this post]

11-25-18 Sunday sermon https://youtu.be/mjOuZi02uVk

https://www.facebook.com/john.chiarello.5/videos/10205049315390766/ 

 ON VIDEO-

.Feast of Corpus Christi

.Bishop Mulvey

.Immigration

.Moses

.Pharaoh decree to kill the boys

.Manna

.Big Bang

.Cause and effect

.Point of singularity

.Richard Dawkins

.Quantum Leap

.Self existent being [Necessary]

.Aristotle’s God

.The Cross and the jetty

.Family altar

 TEACHING [For video 11-25-18]

I taught from the verses for the Mass for this date- the main theme was the coming of Christ, which has been a theme for the past few weeks.

From Daniel we read-

Daniel 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

Daniel 7:14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

Jesus was crowned King when he ascended to the right hand of God- He bodily ascended- meaning he now sits in a position of authority over all kingdoms.

There will be a day when he returns to the earth - the 2nd Coming- but his kingdom exists now- because he is risen and alive.

We- the church- are his subjects on the earth- now.

We rule and reign with him- now.

We have not only identified with him in his death and Resurrection- but in his ascension too-

Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

I spoke about the reality of the Kingdom of God now- and then.

Yes- there will be a time when all will be made new- and we look forward to the appearing of Jesus.

But he also ‘appears’ now- by His Spirit thru his people.

The Spirit of God continues to direct and manifest himself thru the church.

This indeed is a manifestation of the kingdom of God on earth.

The Kingdom is still going to find completion at the return of the Lord.

But this should in no way diminish the reality of the kingdom now.

Ok- if this were an entire teaching post- I would try and add all the notes and teachings I have done over the years- but instead I will simply add some of the verses I quoted on the video to the bottom of this post.

I taught more on the video- but I felt this would be a good short section to give you a flavor of what the main theme was.

When I turned the camera on I ran into some of my homeless fiends before I started teaching- you will see a few of them on the video. For my Catholic friends you can reference the verses for this days Mass at the bottom of the post.

5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Rev. 1 [The 2 verses I used above- minus the Ephesians passage- were from the Mass reading- I quoted many more on the video]

  TEACHING-

This day I did the Sunday meeting with my daughter- and covered the teaching from Bishop Mulvey- and Pastor Bil.

 I’ll add my past teaching below on the relevant chapters- and try and just talk a little on the verses right now.

 Bishop Mulvey [The Bishop of Corpus Christi- Cathedral] talked about the story of Moses- and how God fed the people with Manna [bread] during their wilderness journey.

 Manna was ‘bread from heaven’ and Jesus used this story when speaking about himself [John 6]-

John 6:31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

John 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

Jesus is the true bread from heaven- if a man eats from- he will never die-

John 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

I got into the story of Moses some on the video- and won’t teach it all here.

 Pastor Bil [Church Unlimited] gave a good message for Fathers day.

He showed us how Jesus was affirmed of God- the Father-

Matthew 3:17

And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

 And how Jesus himself was rejected of God- when he died for the sins of the world-

2 Corinthians 5:21

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

 Yes- Jesus became sin for us- so we might receive the adoption of sons-

Romans 8:15

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Galatians 4:6

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

 The only new thing I added- was from the story of David found in 1st Samuel 16 [I taught the whole book of Samuel this past year].

 When Samuel the prophet comes to Jesse’s house [David’s father] Jesse brings out his sons for the big occasion.

 Samuel was there to anoint Israels next king.

 Yet- for some reason- Jesse never called David- why?

It was after the prophet asked Jesse if he had any other sons- then Jesse calls for David.

1Samuel 16:11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

A few years ago a book [or paper?] came out from a scholar- I did not read it- but read the review.

The author made the case that it was possible that David was an illegitimate son.

 From the review- it seemed like the author had a good case.

If this was so- then that might be why Jesse did not introduce him to the prophet at first.

 After all- Samuel was sent from God- he was a prophet- and any father- who had an illegitimate son- might think it best to hide him from a prophet.

 I related how Jesus Mother was at first accused of infidelity.

We read the account in the gospels-

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. Matt. 1

Joseph initially thought Mary cheated on him.

Yet God revealed to Joesph that Mary was pregnant with the promised Messiah- conceived by the Holy Spirit-

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. Matt. 1

 Yet Joesph was on the verge of calling off the marriage.

Did word get out about this?

 Were there rumors going around about the pregnancy of Mary?

 Possibly [more than likely].

 We know today that Mary was faithful and bore the Son of God.

But it’s possible that Jesus was actually looked upon as a Son born out of wedlock.

 Jesus is called the Son of David-

Luke 18:38

And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Mark 12:35

And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the son of David?

 Jesus bore the reproaches of men-

Psalm 69:9

For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Romans 15:3

For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

 Maybe- just maybe David- the king chosen of God-

Who had many trials thru out his life-

Had many family problems [Sons rising up against him]

Struggled with his own personal failures [Bathsheba]

Who for some strange reason was hidden by his own father the day the prophet showed up-

Who was a type and picture of Christ- who was looked upon as an illegitimate son- whose own step father Joseph had to be told- by an angel- in a dream- to accept the child- and his mother-

 Yes- maybe David bore the same reproach- and rejection- that Jesus experienced-

From his Father on that day-

Psalm 22:1

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Matthew 27:46

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Mark 15:34

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

 Why was Jesus forsaken?

 He was the bread- he was the manna-

There would only be one way we would be able to eat-

 The bread had to be broken-

1 Corinthians 11:24

And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

 We don’t know for sure if David was rejected by his father Jesse because he was illegitimate- but we do know he felt rejected by Jesse- it would only be normal to feel that way when your other brothers are deemed better than you.

But we do know Jesus was forsaken of his Father that day on the Cross- it was rejection- for the salvation of the world-

To redeem mankind from all their sins-

The sins of the fathers- the mothers- the sons-

Yes- all of us.

So no matter what your past has been- or what your father might be hiding- or what the neighbors think about your child- or how you might have conceived him-

Regardless of all that-

Because of the rejection of Christ himself

We are heirs of a new family line- we are the children of God himself-

1 John 3:1

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Yes- no matter what rejection you have experienced in life- because of what Jesus did for us-

We have been accepted with God- our father- he is our Father too-

John 20:17

Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

   NOTE- In the Talmud- Nitzevet is the mother of King David- but she is not mentioned in the bible.

For more on the possibility of David being illegitimate - see here-https://professorwhodotcom.wordpress.com/2014/05/30/was-king-david-an-illegitimate-son-of-jesse/ 

These are the words of David himself-

Psalm 51:5

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

 PAST POSTS- [Parts of my past teaching that relate to this post- Verse below]

https://ccoutreach87.wordpress.com/2016/07/05/john-6/

https://ccoutreach87.wordpress.com/2016/08/24/samuel-16/ 

https://ccoutreach87.com/overview-of-philosophy/

https://ccoutreach87.com/atheism-apologetics-links-added/

https://ccoutreach87.com/qm/ 

https://ccoutreach87.com/romans-updated-2015/ 

 John 6[radio # 589]- We see the first miracle of the feeding of the multitudes. It has been commonly taught that this was a miracle of ‘location’, that is they were far from the market and couldn’t get food to feed everyone. This is not the heart of the story. It is actually a question of finance. Jesus in essence asks ‘how can we buy enough food for everyone to eat, where’s the money gonna come from?’ His disciples say ‘200 pennyworth is not enough to feed them’. They tell Jesus we don’t have the cash to cover it. This is important to see, many have taught a doctrine that says Jesus and the disciples had a large treasury with lots of money. This refutes that. This story is one of God being our supply, we don’t need to trust him for the millions of dollars we think we need to reach the world. We need to believe that he can use our limited finances to reach the world! He did it with Paul, why not you? We also see the doctrine of sovereignty again. Jesus says all who the Father gave to him will come to him, and he will raise them up at the last day. No man can come unless the Father draws him. The Father will draw all who are called. Jesus will lose none of the ones the father gives to him. These doctrines are without a doubt taught in this Gospel. I believe them. Some try to make them ‘fit’ the reasoning of men. They eventually taught that Jesus died only for the elect. That the ‘world’ in John 3:16 speaks of the ‘world of the elect’. Others taught that Jesus blood was only shed for the elect [limited atonement]. Christians have fought for centuries over these doctrines. Our Catholic brothers do not officially teach predestination, though Catholic scholars have believed in it [Augustine]. Some will later be called ‘5 point Calvinists’ others ‘4 points’ and so on. I simply believe the words of Jesus. All that the Father gave to him will come to him, those who come will be raised at the last day. No one comes unless God brings them. The point is God is the initiator, sustainer and completer of our salvation. In our minds we can’t grasp this, but without a doubt Jesus teaches it in this chapter. Now, Jesus will also teach that he is the bread from heaven and unless a man eats his flesh and drinks his blood he will not have eternal life. Many good Christians have taught that the way this is carried out is thru transubstantiation, they teach that the bread and wine turn into the literal body and blood of Jesus at the Mass [Catholic theologian Scott Hahn believes John chapter 6 is the foundational chapter for all Catholic theology]. That it just looks like bread and wine, but it is really flesh and blood. Luther and Calvin taught something almost identical, consubstantiation. The doctrine that the bread and wine stay bread and wine, but that the flesh and blood of Jesus are also literally contained within the bread and wine. This doctrine differs very little from the Catholic one. Both of these doctrines are called ‘the real presence’. The only reformer who taught what much of modern Evangelicals believe was Zwingli. He took it to be a symbol only. Zwingli was the dear brother who killed the Ana Baptists for their faith! I visited the spot where this took place in Switzerland many years ago. There is this huge statue of Zwingli overlooking the town where he drowned the poor brothers! The Jews in this chapter say ‘how can this man give us his flesh to eat and blood to drink?’ They are clearly seeing this in the natural. Jesus goes on and teaches that all who believe in him will never hunger again. He is associating eating with faith. He also says ‘the flesh profits nothing, the words I am speaking to you give life’ he is clearly teaching that he was not going to figure out a way to change bread and wine into his literal flesh. He was teaching that all who would believe in his death and resurrection were eating and getting life from Jesus, they would have eternal life. The bread that if a man eats from will live forever. I believe my Catholic and Orthodox and Lutheran brothers are Christian, I do not hold to the view that the ‘real presence’ is a doctrine from hell. I believe good Christians took the words of Jesus literally and developed a belief that became an historic belief amongst many Christians. Some of the greatest Christian theologians hold to this belief. I simply disagree with them.

  )SAMUEL 16- Samuel is coming from the recent ‘hacking incident’ of king Agag, and the Lord tells him to go to Bethlehem and anoint a new king. Samuel is afraid ‘what if Saul hears about it? He will kill me’. Notice, Samuel feels intimidated and fearful. When he gets to Bethlehem the scripture says the Elders were all in a panic, they said ‘are you come in peace’? Hey, they just heard about the hacking incident, word spreads fast when a prophet straps it on with some pagan! They must have been thinking Samuel was on a warpath. He tells them he is come in peace and wants to sacrifice with them and worship. As a little aside, when you have prophetic ministers in a city, it’s only natural that Elders [pastors] are going to feel intimidated. Why? Are prophets better men? No, but the prophetic operates under a different type of anointing. Don’t forget you already saw Samuel gain a reputation among the people because of his strong prophetic gift. Sometimes pastors can feel intimidated ‘geez, that guy hit the nail on the head. I hope he doesn’t call me out by name too!’ Samuel doesn’t ‘call them out’ but says ‘hey Elders, where all in this together. Let’s worship God’. Samuel finds David and anoints him. Saul is battling with all sorts of personal issues [evil spirit]. Even his close associates can pick up on it. The servants recommend for Saul to get a worshipper who can play music and minister to Saul. They tell him ‘yeah, there is this guy named David. He’s real good at playing music. Plus he is a valiant and mighty warrior’. We often see David as a ‘mamby pamby mamma’s boy’ at this stage of his life. But scripture says he already built up a reputation as a fighter. David takes the job and becomes a musician for Saul. A few thoughts. In this chapter we see Gods Spirit [anointing] leaving Saul and going with David. David himself in Psalms pleas with the Lord ‘take not thy Holy Spirit from me’ after his sin with Bathsheba. Let me encourage some of my Pastor friends. It’s easy to read stuff like this, or for some ‘prophet’ to pronounce stuff like this to a pastor. I really don’t see applying this scenario to modern day ministers. God’s Spirit in the Old Testament was operating differently than today. Only one king at a time could have the ‘kingly anointing’. When the Spirit left Saul for David it was because God was only anointing one person for the job. Today, while it’s possible for a pastor/minister to mess up and ruin his ministry, I still wouldn’t apply stuff like this in too much of a personal way. Sort of like ‘The Lord must have left me and now he’s chosen so and so on the other side of town’. The Lord ‘doesn’t leave you’ in this way under the New Covenant. Paul said the gifts and callings of God are without repentance, in context he is speaking of natural Israel, but you can also apply it to believer’s gifts today. How much God uses you does depend on your willingness and obedience to his call, but don’t think he left ‘your church’ and went to the other one down the street! [he hasn’t written ‘Michelob’ on your door! See entry 887]

[parts]

[1722] EXODUS

 Let’s continue our brief over view of the bible. The book of Exodus begins with Israel going into Egypt [connected with the end of Genesis] and the first 15 chapters deal with God raising up Moses and using him to deliver his people out of bondage.

 We see the 10 plagues on Egypt- because they won’t ‘let God’s people go’ and we finally see the great parting of the Red Sea and Pharaohs armies drowning in the ocean.

 God’s people receive the 10 commandments at Mount Sinai and they begin a very long wilderness journey [40 years].

 The book ends with the building of the Tabernacle [a tent system that was the central focus of worship during their travels].

 The book itself is a good read- not as slow as the next 3 to come [Numbers, Leviticus and Deuteronomy] and it is the continuation of the promise that God made to Abraham in the book of Genesis. If you remember- God told Abraham if he left his home land and went into a strange land that God would bless him and make him into a great nation.

 The Promised Land of course was not Egypt- but Canaan [modern day Israel/Palestine] yet we read a few occasions when things got rough during the journey- That Abraham [and his kids] would lose faith and for various reasons [famine] go ‘down into Egypt’.

 So Egypt kind of represents a time of doubt- slavery for God’s people. During their wilderness journey- after God delivers them out of Egypt- they go back to their complaining ways.

 At various times they say stuff like ‘why did you deliver us Moses- we have no food/water out here- only if we could go back and have the onions and good food we had in the good old days’.

 This mantra becomes a stumbling block for Israel- time and again God will supernaturally provide the food and water [Manna, Quail- water from a Rock] and time and again they will complain.

 Eventually we will read the story of them taking their Promised Land [the book of Joshua] but yet even at that point- they still have their doubts [12 spies go in to check the land out- only 2 come back with ‘a good report’- the others say ‘the land looks great- but the people living there are too much for us to defeat- we look like grasshoppers in their sight].

 Like I said in the post on Genesis- you can view the Old Testament as the story of one man and his family.

 God makes the initial promise to Abraham- and the rest of the Old Testament [Law, Prophets and wisdom books] cover that story.

 It’s important to understand that all of these earthly land promises- they take on a much broader meaning in the New Testament- if you carefully read the writings of the apostles [especially Paul] you will see that they viewed the coming of Christ- and his death, resurrection and ascension to God- as the ultimate fulfilling of this promise.

 Lots of language says ‘we are now all heirs of these promises- Jews and gentiles’ lots of language like that.

 This has been a very contentious point in church history- most of the early church [Catholic, Orthodox] did accept this view [Saint Augustine was very influential in this area] and later on many Protestant churches would reject it.

 But I think for the most part that the historic church got it right- while the Protestant view has some merits as well [Amillennialism, Dispensationalism are the various names given to these views].

 Okay- out of all the figures in the bible- only 2 are said to be Mediators- those 2 are Moses and Jesus.

 A mediator is the person who acts as the go between- when 2 parties enter into a covenant. Moses is the mediator of the Old Covenant- Jesus of the new.

 In the gospel of John we read that ‘the law came through Moses- but grace and truth came through Jesus’.

 John also says ‘The word became flesh and dwelt among us’. John uses the imagery of ‘the Word’ [called Logos Christology] a lot in his writings when referring to Jesus.

 The words ‘Dwelt among us’ literally mean ‘he pitched his tent among us’ the same image of the tent [tabernacle] that was set up during the wilderness journey that we just spoke about.

 This tent that was set up and taken down for the 40 year period of wandering [which eventually becomes the Old Testament Temple under King Solomon] was indeed a picture of Jesus.

 Just like God was ‘in the tent’- the Ark that was in the Holy of Holies- the inner room- so likewise God was ‘In Christ- reconciling the world back unto himself’.

 John said ‘The Word became flesh’. God became man- lived among us and redeemed us back unto himself thru Christ- once again we see that the entire bible- all the figures and stories and experiences- point to one thing- Jesus, the Christ- The Son of the Most High.

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 (972)1ST CORINTHIANS 10:1-4 it’s actually Christmas morning, 2008, as I write. Paul says ‘all of our forefathers were under the cloud, they were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and sea’. Note- 2 baptisms ‘Cloud’ [Spirit] ‘Sea’ [water]. Let’s do a little thinking here. How can Paul refer to the Jewish fathers as the Corinthians forefathers? Is he expecting a large Jewish group to read this letter? [Like Romans- both Jews and Gentiles were in mind]. Is he addressing them like the author of Hebrews, who is speaking directly to a nation in transition? While it’s possible for a few Jewish believers to have read/heard the reading of this letter. Yet I think Paul is simply being consistent with his letters to the Galatians and Romans, where he taught that all who would believe were the ‘children of Abraham by faith’ Abraham is ‘the father of many nations’. Now, I like the way Paul ‘spiritualizes’ here. Moses was the prophet who typified Jesus. The people were baptized [joined] to him both thru the good times and the bad. There was quite a rough history between Moses and the rebels! Times where they wanted to change leadership. Times where God even said ‘I have had it with this bunch, let’s just wipe them out and start over’. They had history. Also Paul says ‘they all ate of the same spiritual meat and drank from the same spiritual rock. Christ’. Again, Paul seems to teach the symbolic, as opposed to literal, view of ‘eating/drinking Christ’. Israel did have some physical ordinances in the wilderness. The Passover and the bread from heaven [Manna] already happened. But Jesus himself [John 6] would say ‘Moses didn’t give you the real bread, I am the real bread!’. So Paul’s use of the ‘Rock’ is purely symbolic. The story relates to the time where God gave the children of Israel water from an actual rock in the wilderness. Moses spoke to/struck the rock and water came out. Paul sees this as a symbolic picture. He is saying ‘this foreshadowed Christ, the true rock who would be the ‘Rock of ages’ who would be struck on the Cross and water would flow from his side’. Once again, this leaves us some context to interpret the Lords supper in a symbolic way. Was Paul teaching the Corinthians to go out in the fields and actually drink real water from a rock? No. He was simply saying these physical symbols would be fulfilled at a future time, and that time was now! All who believe in Christ are partaking [spiritually] of the water of life, the Holy Spirit. Tomorrow we will get into the examples that were left to us from these stories. I just want to mention that the Apostle Paul freely uses the Old Testament [his only bible at the time!] and applies these stories to both Gentile believers and 1st century Israel. The writer of Hebrews [who I think was Paul] says ‘just like the forefathers missed out on the promise by unbelief- entering the promised land- so too there is a danger that you, 1st century Israel, might miss out on eternal life by not receiving the Messiah by faith’. In this context, Israel of the Old Testament represents Israel in the first century. But when addressing a gentile church [Corinth] it is also okay for Paul to say ‘just like Israel faced physical death by being disobedient, so you too have had premature physical deaths in your community by rebelling against God’. In this comparison Israel [Old Testament] is simply being used as an example of God judging his covenant people for their disobedience. I feel these distinctions are important, they help us to keep the New Testament in context.

   (1132) Nehemiah 9- as the people repent, they stand, fast, confess their sins and read from God’s law for a quarter of the day! There is a real renewal that takes place thru the reading of the word. In the last chapter we saw the emphasis on the teaching of Gods word, the bible says the Levites not only taught/read, but also gave the sense, the meaning of it. Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of his day, not because they weren’t ‘reading/quoting’ bible verses, they were doing it all the time! But because they weren’t really grasping the principles behind the word. In this chapter the people were not only hearing, but also understanding. Now they also do an historical remembrance of Gods great past works. They recount his promise to Abraham, the story of Egypt and Gods great deliverance. The giving of the law to Moses and the rebellion of their fathers during the time of the judges. It’s a great retelling of their history, sort of like Stephen in Acts 7. They also praise and worship God as the creator of all things. I have been reading a good book on the current debate between ‘young earth’ and ‘old earth’ creationists. Though I personally lean towards the old earth idea, yet the book brings out very good arguments for a young earth. They show the historical development of the geologic table [the levels of earth and the dating of these levels] and the book also brings out the fact that though many of the church fathers spiritualized the days of creation, this did not mean they were old earth creationists! Augustine believed in ‘instantaneous creation’ in a moment. So his idea was really young earth, even though he did not take the creation days as literal. One of the points brought out is the basic belief in God as creator, man seems to have a difficult time simply believing in the fact that God made all things out of nothing [Ex-Nihilo] whether you are an old earth or young earth advocate, the fact is God made it all by his word! The people in Nehemiah’s day praised him for his great works as seen in creation. It’s important to see the role that the reading of the law played in this national revival. We see this happen a few times in Israel’s history. Times where they rediscover the law after many years and repent as they return to Gods precepts. Recently I have been reading/studying from around 11:00 am to 3-4 pm. Not every day, but a few days a week. I found it interesting that the people were giving one fourth of their day to reading the law; God saw it as vital for the restoration of his city and people. I want to encourage all my Pastor friends, as you build Gods people, don’t underestimate the importance of good bible teaching. Don’t just give people verses to memorize/hear [what the Pharisees were good at] but give them the understanding too. God used his law [word] to revive the people after the walls were built.

  [parts]

Okay- we made it all the way to Plato and his famous school that he founded at Athens [Greece]. Though Socrates was his teacher- yet Socrates never founded an actual school.

 Like I said earlier- Plato had a view of Reality that was a bit strange. He was an Idealist- not in the way we use the term today [mostly] but he believed that Ideas themselves were the real world- and what we see/experience in the material world are not ‘as real’.

 Plato believed that knowledge was A Priori- which means the actual knowledge about a thing exists before the thing comes into being.

 The famous example he used was a Chair. He would ask ‘what is that’ pointing to a chair. The student would respond ‘a chair’ Plato would say ‘and how do you know this- how did you obtain that knowledge’ and he argued that in the Idea realm- there is a perfect form of Chairness that exists- and that’s why we can identify ‘the chair’ in the material realm.

 Now- Plato’s most famous student was a man named Aristotle. He actually respected his teacher a lot- but there was some tension between the 2. Plato was more of a down to earth type guy- liked to wear plain clothes- did lots of his teaching by walking around the classroom- interacting with people.

 Aristotle was more of a ‘Fancy Pants’ type guy. He had a little bit of the elitist thing going on. He was more of a book worm than Plato- and he would eventually start his own school to compete with Plato’s Academy.

 Aristotle’s school was named the Lyceum. Aristotle was more of a Realist than an Idealist. He believed that this material world was more than just a copy of the Idea world. He taught that Substance and matter were very real- and that contained within the thing is the actual form and future potential of ‘that thing’.

 For instance- the Acorn has within it the actual form of the Oak Tree. This form did not come from an Idea world- it came from the thing itself- the Acorn.

 So matter has within it both the potential of its future form- as well as eventually becoming that thing.

 For Aristotle- knowledge is more A-Posteriori- that is we obtain knowledge about a thing- from the very thing itself. We see/touch and experience that thing- and by our senses interacting with the substance- we get knowledge- after the fact.

 Okay- to Aristotle all substance has both Form and Matter. Then what he called substance- had 2 categories as well. The ‘substance’ [actual thing it is] and the Accidens [not accidents- not a typo].

 The Accidens was simply the outward appearance- what we see on the outside. It might not be what the substance really is- or it might.

 This teaching would eventually become a major way that our Catholic friends would come to define the doctrine of Transubstantiation- during the 13the century the great thinker Thomas Aquinas would re-discover [and introduce] Aristotle’s teaching back into the church.

 In his theological works [Summa Theologica] he would use Aristotelian thought to explain how the Bread and Wine become the actual Flesh and Blood of Christ. Thomas explained that the actual substance of the thing was Flesh and Blood- but the Accidens- what you’re seeing on the outside- looks like Bread and Wine.

 Catholic scholars have debated for centuries on whether or not they should stick to the hard line teaching from Thomas on this. They are not challenging the belief in the Real Presence [that Jesus is really there at the Eucharist] they simply wonder whether or not explaining it this way is right.

 Finally- after many years of certain Catholic scholars asking this question- in 1965 the Pope [I think it was Paul the 6th?] put out a Papal Encyclical [an official Vatican teaching] and he stated clearly that the way Aquinas taught it is the official doctrine of the church- so that settled that.

 Okay- Plato was an Idealist [Dualist] and Aristotle was a Realist. That’s the major difference.

 I will note that Aristotle’s most famous student was Alexander the Great. And during the great conquests of Alexander he took with him a whole team of scientists who brought back all types of specimens of things and he gave them to his famous teacher Aristotle- to advance the cause of learning at the Lyceum school.

 It has been said that Alexander’s efforts at collecting and bringing these things back after their victories- that this was probably the most expensive scientific endeavor of all time- right up until the modern space Era.

 Note- I try to avoid too many ‘big words’ in these posts. Not because people don’t understand them- but because I forget how to spell them! And in this post- there are around 10 words that my spell check has no idea how to spell- so just a warning- there might be a few misspelled words in this one.

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    NEWS- I commented on this the other day-

http://freebeacon.com/national-security/freighter-autopilot-hit-us-destroyer/ 

   VERSES- [These are the verses I taught from or quoted on the videos for this post- Other videos below]

John 6:1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.

John 6:2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.

John 6:3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.

John 6:4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.

John 6:5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

John 6:6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

John 6:7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.

John 6:8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,

John 6:9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

John 6:10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

John 6:11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

John 6:12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

John 6:13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

John 6:14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.

John 6:15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

John 6:16 And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea,

John 6:17 And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.

John 6:18 And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.

John 6:19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.

John 6:20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.

John 6:21 Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.

John 6:22 The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone;

John 6:23 (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)

John 6:24 When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.

John 6:25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?

John 6:26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

John 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

John 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

John 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

John 6:30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?

John 6:31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

John 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

John 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

John 6:34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

John 6:36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.

John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

John 6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.

John 6:42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?

John 6:43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.

John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

John 6:46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

John 6:48 I am that bread of life.

John 6:49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.

John 6:50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

John 6:52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

John 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

John 6:56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

John 6:57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

John 6:58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

John 6:59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

John 6:60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

John 6:61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?

John 6:62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?

John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

John 6:64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

John 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

John 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

John 6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

John 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

John 6:69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

John 6:70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?

John 6:71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

 1Samuel 16:1 And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

1Samuel 16:2 And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.

1Samuel 16:3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.

1Samuel 16:4 And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?

1Samuel 16:5 And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

1Samuel 16:6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD's anointed is before him.

1Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

1Samuel 16:8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.

1Samuel 16:9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.

1Samuel 16:10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.

1Samuel 16:11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

1Samuel 16:12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.

1Samuel 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

1Samuel 16:14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

1Samuel 16:15 And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

1Samuel 16:16 Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.

1Samuel 16:17 And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.

1Samuel 16:18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.

1Samuel 16:19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.

1Samuel 16:20 And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.

1Samuel 16:21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.

1Samuel 16:22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.

1Samuel 16:23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.

John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

John 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

John 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

John 1:7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

John 1:8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

New Living Translation So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Gen. 1:27

Mark 1:11

And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

These are the verses for the video made 11-25-18

November 25, 2018

 « November 24 | November 26 »

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe Lectionary: 161 Reading 1DN 7:13-14

As the visions during the night continued, I saw one like a Son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; when he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship; all peoples, nations, and languages serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed.

Responsorial PsalmPS 93:1, 1-2, 5

R. (1a) The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty. The LORD is king, in splendor robed; robed is the LORD and girt about with strength. R. The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty. And he has made the world firm, not to be moved. Your throne stands firm from of old; from everlasting you are, O LORD. R. The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty. Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed; holiness befits your house, O LORD, for length of days. R. The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.

Reading 2RV 1:5-8

Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father, to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming amid the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. All the peoples of the earth will lament him. Yes. Amen. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, " says the Lord God, "the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty."

AlleluiaMK 11:9, 10

R. Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come! R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelJN 18:33B-37

Pilate said to Jesus, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?" Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here." So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

窗体顶端

Revelation 1:6

These are some of the verses I quoted or talked about on the video for 11-25-18

And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Revelation 5:10

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Note- on the video for 11-25-18 I mentioned how many times the title ‘Son of Man’ is used in the gospels-

69 times in Matthew- Mark and Luke- and about 12 times in John- I think I’ll just add the ones from John-

John 1:12

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

John 1:18

No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

John 1:51

And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

John 3:13

And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

John 3:14

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

John 5:27

And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

John 6:27

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

John 6:53

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

John 6:62

What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

John 8:28

Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

John 12:23

And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

John 12:34

The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

John 13:31

Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Philipians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Philipians 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

Philipians 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

Philipians 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Philipians 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

Philipians 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

Philipians 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Acts 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Acts 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

Acts 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.

John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

John 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

John 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

Psalm 8:5

For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Hebrews 2:7

Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Hebrews 2:9

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

 窗体底端

27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

29 For our God is a consuming fire.

2 Peter 1:4

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

1 Corinthians 2:8

Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Luke 17:21

Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

2 Corinthians 5:20

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Proverbs 20:8

A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Matthew 6:10

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Other videos- [These are the videos I post nightly to my sites- Links to all my sites below]

Acts 10  https://youtu.be/tamgFDbzsjI

Freely give  https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMg3zcvuDKcC-C2kge

Danny- N.J.  https://youtu.be/Jr__T9QHwtI

Mercy seat  https://www.dropbox.com/s/8cudu26z7zacq3f/2-28-16%20Mercy%20seat%20%5B1cor%2011-%202%20cor%201%5D.mp4?dl=0

Colossians 4  https://youtu.be/J5-YhOw_wHA

8-28-16 Sunday sermon  https://dai.ly/x7m78l5

The cup- NYC  https://flic.kr/p/2iENQ6B

Homeless friends  https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMilmM4DGzpGSa_um5

1-22-17 Sunday sermon  https://www.dropbox.com/s/dosx3kgl9livhgh/1-22-17%20Local%20Church.mp4?dl=0

John 20  https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMg35YCL65M71wr2V9

Homeless friend  https://youtu.be/hYzte5tY34M

Mark 1 [N.J.]  https://www.dropbox.com/s/49b8bh5sprt7lfy/2-27-17%20Jersey%20City%20ride%20%5BMark%201%5D.mp4?dl=0

Kings 17  https://youtu.be/nQ6ZDItEM_w

Teaching  https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMilouZc8l-KtF-hs4

4-23-17 Sunday sermon  https://www.dropbox.com/s/dne25w6ewefedqv/4-23-17%20Mark%208.mp4?dl=0

10-1-17 Sunday sermon  https://ok.ru/video/1592245160503

College students  https://www.bitchute.com/video/zJC4JolRnX8E/

King David  https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMg3qH9BN3QFVgjQcX

Teaching NYC  https://youtu.be/kzCmgKqJ_Q4

Jesus n Tolstoy  https://www.dropbox.com/s/2sxb9iidhruanlo/2-26-17%20Jesus%20and%20Tolstoy.mp4?dl=0

The creed  https://vk.com/video533663718_456239706

11-17-19 Sunday sermon  https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMjFOer4IMdGhn-zxc

10-11-15 Sunday sermon  https://www.dropbox.com/s/sei3z42l488qrvq/10-11-15%20Bethlehem%20Christians.mp4?dl=0

Acts 14  https://www.bitchute.com/video/Qs2I8lC0jIU1/

San Antonio  https://youtu.be/inxugv3ueys

Twilight of the idols  https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMg3vwi1qfY-AZU8WI

Homeless friend- NYC  https://youtu.be/IckgCiOiGxg

Mary’s prayer  https://flic.kr/p/2iDQ1Ws

11-10-19 Sunday talk  https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMjFEV7pVD-8RcQ4le

4-2-17 Sunday sermon  https://www.dropbox.com/s/ya1jifiectl39is/4-2-17%20Battle%20is%20the%20Lords.mp4?dl=0

To God be the glory  https://www.dropbox.com/s/fwn8pwgelgyqd6m/2-25-16%20To%20God%20be%20the%20glory.mp4?dl=0

Who is anti- christ?  https://dai.ly/x7m78l6

Hebrews 4-6  https://youtu.be/Q93cYNhCiOA

Friends n teaching  https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMg3gzerQPCwATsdrm

Grace  https://youtu.be/4Bl7_nMr_jE

Romans 8-10  https://www.dropbox.com/s/533k3rb0c32rzfi/2-24-15%20Romans%208-10.mp4?dl=0

6-18-17 Sunday sermon  https://www.dropbox.com/s/wxlvzknrcmfxk7i/6-18-17%20C.U.-%20Mass.mp4?dl=0

Homeless friends- teaching  https://ok.ru/video/1589887502903

10-20-19 Sunday sermon  https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMjEtV3idhCmH2DS7C

 Beware of it  https://www.bitchute.com/video/P5QRahWdJTwP/

   Mark 8  https://youtu.be/WfnuyGrSsm4

Samuel 22  https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMg3ensGcj27jfoaI5

On whom the tower fell  https://youtu.be/UxqlPj-O0k4

Alien life   https://www.dropbox.com/s/z0sk7mdf7ttjjef/2-23-17%20Alien%20Life.mp4?dl=0

Kerygma  https://www.instagram.com/tv/B1Q68RzHmKP/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

12-4-16 Sunday sermon  https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMhGv8WTn5cNqVFc00

12-18-16 Sunday sermon  https://www.dropbox.com/s/3ybce8v8vgiquhj/12-18-16%20Died-%20Raised-%20Ascended.mp4?dl=0

Prayer  https://dai.ly/x6x60sd

Battle is the Lord’s  https://youtu.be/TqfUmwkwgXk

Kings 13  https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMg3LUwR8VJ0pGcGE-

The Creed  https://youtu.be/1-fcoGwgO10

Kings 20  https://www.dropbox.com/s/feq1brdvfl1x0nh/2-22-18%20Kings%2020.mp4?dl=0

Teaching- NYC  https://vk.com/video533663718_456239700

11-20-16 Sunday sermon  https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMhClF0tCVRHsxiWNO

1-1-17 Sunday sermon  https://www.dropbox.com/s/akkowwr43zfeig3/1-1-17%202nd%20Samuel%206-7%20%5BC.U.%5D.mp4?dl=0

Teaching  https://www.bitchute.com/video/M9xzkenYpAos/

Sunday sermon- it is finished https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMgQk1IZSLLnUHmTF8 Motorcycle update- Friends https://youtu.be/qvhVKMe7Xoc Friends 1 https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMgQfOQdloSVyW7bWi 3-11-18 Steel tariffs racism- NPR ‘news’- https://youtu.be/9pWz5RphVBI 3-11-18 Holder- Assange- Comey- Clapper https://youtu.be/Dpnt9qkrttY Kings 18 https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMgQi1vG3ym2Rod1vk 3-12-18 Update https://youtu.be/u899WZ6oEBA 3-12-18 Update 2 https://youtu.be/hfacabdh9h0

 12-1-18 4.8million views! News update

https://youtu.be/Y4BwQ7TcPKs

https://www.facebook.com/john.chiarello.5/videos/10205070702365427/

Ephesians 3 https://www.dropbox.com/s/qoiuds4q1sok5vm/1-2-18%20Ephesians%203.mp4?dl=0 

Kings 20 https://ln.sync.com/dl/eed8c1c10/9j3zndqx-vatiq29v-6z68z97c-xpzkpgtx 

Word to the ministers of Corpus Christi https://mega.nz/#!7PpQiCgS!f1Jqb1ieF9JIKct6t8A6XqruJ-AbuR9H_qTTbJLtc-Y 

Acts 14 https://app.box.com/s/jrxoujygs9tzxcawd0ih4eeqylu2t2m4 

 Mark 2

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nvmhlq32slfrvyd/3-1-17%20Mark%202%20%5BNorth%20Bergen%5D.mp4?dl=0 

 Jimmy n Pops https://youtu.be/hzD_HSZJzXs

Central Park- NYC https://bit.tube/play?hash=QmWNmpAV91CPYMURkp7k5PifKtP4b8cHYiKKvp84bwghCT&channel=160276 

Christmas eve- NYC https://d.tube/v/ccoutreach/4wo3e2sd 

11-29-18 News update

https://youtu.be/KOPiZYxJYfQ 

In the image of God https://youtu.be/If5GrqzO3O4

Ground to dust https://youtu.be/ahrCWn4ms8I

Furman- teaching https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMghvw-gyfoUcnwKnQ 

Empire State building- NYC https://bit.tube/play?hash=QmczWn2hAkrtAg4EHXD7bZzZ9VUzsxMBRXyJavsW9hsvoJ&channel=160276 

John 16 https://www.bitchute.com/video/QN8KpOjmsJ1s/ 

https://trello.com/c/pcX4mpxg/290-john-16 

Kings 6 https://youtu.be/fg6eUtRUT4A 

Out here in the fields https://youtu.be/IlZQVw7cZHE

Teaching in NYC https://bit.tube/play?hash=QmWP2B2JAGZh5nwrd86Px4ZHEh5ezNByP6AjiPRkwchoK9&channel=160276 

Jean Paul Sartre https://youtu.be/Y2PTFBPxLes

8-12-18 Sunday sermon https://dai.ly/x6xfqk8 

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral- New York City https://d.tube/v/ccoutreach/ypu4vb8s 

Friends n teaching https://youtu.be/Zl2Z180oZ7g 

8-5-18 Sunday sermon https://dai.ly/x6xjw2m 

Isaiah 42 https://youtu.be/Dv5VXo5-Wuw 

No beach- Sunday sermon part 2 https://youtu.be/Ti8SCk0vMEI 

 Hebrews 13 https://www.bitchute.com/video/IEs1qXTEJnLn/

5-13-18 Sunday sermon https://youtu.be/fXrZpksSsXA 

 2nd Samuel 4 https://ccoutreach87.com/2018/11/27/2nd-samuel-4-3/ 

2nd Samuel 5-6 https://ccoutreach87.com/2018/11/29/2nd-samuel-5-6-3/ 

2nd Samuel 6-7 https://ccoutreach87.com/2018/11/30/2nd-samuel-6-7-4/ 

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https://mega.nz/#F!7WQCSIJR!-4v9-zUQRq4MIQbBfI2n4A  

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/d43nhtrgysqg493/AAAlCszxZXJoRtk8UudtuR9ma?dl=0

https://ln.sync.com/dl/3e1f4c5e0/tcnm9p32-xiwe4nbu-zjbkitqj-4fvemf6m

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 These are some of the first posts ever made, I hope to share some of them over time in between my regular studies. Of course they are ‘dated’- and it would be too difficult to edit each post. Some have old news comments in them, but if I also taught on the posts, I’ll post them ‘as is’. Hopefully they will be a benefit in some way- John.

All past posts can be found here- https://corpuschristioutreachministries.blogspot.com/p/links-to-past-posts-up-to-12-2017.html

 Note- Please do me a favor, those who read/like the posts- re-post them on other sites as well as the site you read them on-  Copy text- download video links- make complete copies of my books/studies and posts- everything is copyrighted by me- I give permission for all to copy and share as much as you like- I just ask that nothing be sold. We live in an online world- yet- there is only one internet- meaning if it ever goes down- the only access to the teachings are what others have copied or downloaded- so feel free to copy and download as much as you want- it’s all free-

 Note- I have many web sites- at times some question whether I’m a ‘bot’ because I do post a lot.

I am not a ‘bot’- I’m John- so please- if you are on the verge of deleting something- my contact email is [email protected] - contact me first- thank you- John

#God #Jesus #Bible #ccoutreach87 #Religion

[fevie168]

Monday (December 17): "The genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David"

Scripture: Matthew 1:1-17  

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa, 8 and Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abid the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

Old Testament Reading: Genesis 49:2,8-10

2 Assemble and hear, O sons of Jacob, and hearken to Israel your father. 8 Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;  your father's sons shall bow down before you. 9 Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as a lioness; who dares rouse him up? 10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

Meditation: Do you know who your ancestors were, where they came from, and what they passed on from their generation to the next? Genealogies are very important. They give us our roots and help us to understand our heritage. Matthew's genealogy of Jesus traces his lineage from Abraham, the father of God's chosen people, through the line of David, King of Israel. Jesus the Messiah is the direct descent of Abraham and David, and the rightful heir to David's throne. God in his mercy fulfilled his promises to Abraham and to David that he would send a Savior and a King to rule over the house of Israel and to deliver them from their enemies.

The Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of all God's promises When Jacob blessed his sons he foretold that Judah would receive the promise of royalty which we see fulfilled in David (Genesis 49:10). We can also see in this blessing a foreshadowing of God's fulfillment in raising up his anointed King, Jesus the Messiah. Jesus is the fulfillment of all God's promises. He is the hope not only for the people of the Old Covenant but for all nations as well. He is the Savior of the world who redeems us from slavery to sin and Satan and makes us citizens of the kingdom of God. In him we receive adoption into a royal priesthood and holy nation as sons and daughters of the living God (see 1 Peter 1:9). Do you recognize your spiritual genealogy and do you accept God as your Father and Jesus as the sovereign King and Lord of your life?

"Lord Jesus Christ, you are the Messiah and Savior of the world, the hope of Israel and the hope of the nations. Be the ruler of my heart and the king of my home. May there be nothing in my life that is not under your wise rule and care."

Psalm 72:3-8, 17

3 Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness! 4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor! 5 May he live while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations! 6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth! 7 In his days may righteousness flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more! 8 May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth! 17 May his name endure for ever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May men bless themselves by him, all nations call him blessed!

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Judah who received the promise of royalty foreshadows the Christ the King, by Rufinus (340-410 AD)

"This can be referred to the historical Judah as well as to those kings who were his descendants (Genesis 49:8-10). They broke the back of their enemies by administering the kingdom of that people. But this can also be fittingly referred to Christ, who is praised with good reason by his brothers, that is, by the apostles whom he himself called brothers in the Gospel. And his enemies, on whose back is his hand, appear to be those whom the Father promised to place under his feet by saying, 'Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies under your feet' (Psalm 110:1). They are enemies as long as they are unbelieving and unfaithful, and for that reason they are struck on the back. But after their conversion they become brothers and praise the One who, by summoning them to the adoption of the Father, has made them his coheirs and brothers. It is said correctly that the back of the enemies is struck by Christ. All those who worshiped the idols turned their back to God, as the Lord, through the prophet, accused them by saying, 'They turned their backs to me, and not their faces' (Jeremiah 2:27). Therefore he strikes their back so that after being converted they may turn their back to the idols and raise their forehead to God and may accomplish what is written here: 'Your father's sons shall bow down before you.' In fact, they adore him when they have become sons of the Father and have received the spirit of adoption in which they cry out, 'Abba, Father' (Romans 8:15-16)." No one calls Jesus Christ Lord except those who are in the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). (excerpt from THE BLESSINGS OF THE PATRIARCHS 1.5)

[Rufinus of Aquileia (340-410) was a friend of the Bible scholar Jerome, and, like Jerome, he departed from Italy to live in the East. For many years he lived in monasteries in Egypt and in Palestine, acquiring the learning of the Eastern churches. Towards the end of his life he returned to Italy and occupied himself in translating works of the earlier Greek Fathers into Latin.]