THE BIBLE DON’T MOVE: AN INTRODUCTION TO BIBLE PROPHECY BY REV. M. G. RAMEY

Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
--Matthew 24:44
A few years back, Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Satchel Paige was known for his skill in putting forth power-packed bits of wisdom in addition to his ability with a baseball. Out of the abundance of quotes attributed to him, one of my personal favorites has been the following: “Always throw strikes. Home plate don’t move.”
The same wisdom may also be applied to the study of Bible. “Always stick with the Bible. The Bible don’t move!”
Christians are duty bound to not only know how to read and study our Bibles; we are commanded to apply the Scriptures in our lives. Line upon line, precept upon precept. Doctrine, holy songs and proverbs. Psalms, the gospel and the epistles. Pick up the average newspaper, or turn on your local news show and you can see the last days unfolding before your eyes each and every day. Pick up your KJV Bible and turn to II Timothy, Chapter 3 and you can see that God has provided for His people to understand what is happening in our current world…and why. There is a wealth of treasure within the covers of a Bible. Treasure that covers where man has come from, where he is in our modern era, and where AND when man will ultimately face his maker, God himself.
Let me hasten to add a footnote. Only the spiritual man can receive the teachings of the Lord and understand them. The natural man or woman will look at the Scriptures as a mass of confusion. Only one who has had their life reborn by Jesus Christ, fueled by the Holy Ghost, and led in obedience to God’s Word will fully comprehend what God has for them through the study of Bible Prophecy. A true study of Bible prophecy will provide that unction in our prayer lives, strengthen our individual Christian walk, and provide our churches with the troops ready to gather in the harvest for Jesus Christ.

MAN’S ‘DOOMSDAY CLOCK’ VS GOD’S PROPHETIC CLOCK:
Of course, man always ‘thinks’ he knows more than God. The world system through the mainstream media and entertainment industry have their own ‘prophetic teachings’ as to how the world will end, and the final disposition of man. Based upon much of the recent box office and TV fare of late, the world will either end in an explosion, a massive party, or through an alien invasion…and mankind will emerge from the ashes of destruction to pick up where he left off. Religion? That’s not in the script from Hollywood.
While such fare may be mediocre entertainment, it also makes bad theology.
God has a prophetic clock, which clearly may be found in a study of the Scriptures. Man--again, in his haughtiness--has created the ‘Doomsday Clock’…a device invented by scientists in 1947 and is update as need be to determine how much ‘time’ mankind has before the hands of the clock reach midnight, and the world disappears in a nuclear cloud, climate change catastrophe, or a combination of the two. One may find the history and background of the clock at Wikipedia.org. It makes for fascinating reading, but should lead the Christian to conclude that the brilliance of man pales in comparison to the pages of Scripture.

FIRST THINGS FIRST…START WITH THE RIGHT BIBLE:
With a sizable number of Bible translations on the market right now, WHICH Bible would be the right one for a Christian to use in studying Bible prophecy?
I would start with--and stick with--the KJV Bible. Many of the really solid reference books on prophecy are ‘keyed’ to the KJV, and have stood the test of time.
If the truth be told, to use a more ‘modern’ translation is short sighted at best. The individual will eventually have to come back to the KJV, as many modern versions have proven to be weak when it comes to the ‘nitty gritty’ details of the prophetic realm.
There are other details I’d like to add for consideration:

*Its Origin and History: King James of England was used by God to authorized the translation of the available scriptures of his day into a Bible that the common person could read. A host of scholars and experts took some four years to painstakingly go over the Greek and Hebrew texts. They avoided attempts by the Roman Catholic church to ‘water down’ the gospel. ALL of the translators put their lives on the line to get the job done. In 1611, the world was introduced to the King James Version. It stood alone as THE biblical standard for more than 260 years…well before the first ‘popular translation’ (RSV) arrived in 1881!

*Its Linguistic Authority and Purity: Some might think that this is a small point, but whenever the Scripture states: ‘Thus Saith the Lord…’ it does something to the spirit of the believer. It is written in the same King’s English language used by Shakespeare. One KNOWS what happens when you try to ‘modernize’ the Bard. The same can be said for attempts to tamper with the KJV! Translations that have come since the KJV lose something when they use modern terminology, and eventually ‘run back’ to the KJV for ‘clarification’. Start with the ‘olde booke’, stay with the ‘olde booke’.

*For African Americans It Represents An Unbreakable Tie To Our Ancestry And History In The USA: Our fore parents had it right when they INSISTED to be taught how to read out of the bible, rather than out of ‘just another reading book’. THIS is why our fore parents were wise beyond their years! Though the penalty to teach a Black man or Black woman how to read during the time of slavery was death, our fore parents risked death to learn about eternal life in the Scriptures. The KJV helps one properly reverence God, and God blesses them with wisdom and understanding BEYOND normal education standards. One major Christian book chain put out a comparison chart of the various Bible translations and versions on the market years ago. The KJV was held to give a person a reading comprehension level of someone ABOVE the twelfth grade, and scored at the top of Bible translations.

THREE IMMEDIATE BENEFITS OF STUDYING BIBLE PROPHECY:
Here are three immediate benefits of studying Bible prophecy:
1. Christians WILL Be Readily Shaken Out Of Their Apathy: One of the key facts of the Scriptures is that Jesus Christ IS coming back. His imminent return is well documented in the Scriptures, and is a central teaching of Bible prophecy. The Bible well documents the FIRST coming of Jesus. There are many markers in the Bible that point to the Lord’s second coming. Further, there is no prophetic event which must occur before the rapture of the church takes place (I Thessalonians 4:13-18).

2. Christians WILL Desire To Return To A ‘Be About It’ Holiness: There is something about appearing before one’s boss for a performance evaluation that will tend to encourage even the most stubborn employee to straighten up. Christians will be brought before the Judgment Seat of Christ to give Him a DIRECT account of our activities as Christians; to receive rewards for what we have accomplished for Him on earth, among other things. A clear teaching of this part of Bible Prophecy and the future of Christians (Saints) will serve to ‘spark’ some individual revival AND holiness in Christian lives.

3. Christians WILL Want To Return To REAL Soul Winning: Just a curious reading of the Book of Revelation concerning what will happen on earth after the removal of the church should paint such a panoramic view of stark terror (ie the mark of the beast) that a Christian will a strong foundation in coming biblical events would be more than motivated to share their faith with sinners and backsliders. After all, sheep win sheep, but only after they are sure where there is good pasture available.

WHY THERE IS A NEED TO UNDERSTAND BIBLE PROPHECY:
Mention the words ‘Bible prophecy’ to a group of Christians, and you will have a variety of reactions, ranging from apathy to extreme concern. This article seeks to provide a basic introduction to the subject in order to take some of the ‘perceived mystery’ out of it. Once some of the basic components, or tools involved with Bible prophecy are examined, it is hoped that the reader will be able to put this knowledge to use and continue their investigation into the subject.
Jesus, in Matthew 16:1-3, chided the Pharisees and Sadducees for being wise enough to understand certain truths about the weather, but remain blissfully ignorant of the signs of the times. Many Christians are the same way today…majoring on the minors, and missing out on meaningful biblical study, comprehension and wisdom. While many hours of careful prayer, study, and research go into many of the lessons that are a part of a Sunday School lesson, or a Wednesday night Bible lesson, there seems to be little in the way of Christian growth by the average Christian. The Word of God seems to ‘bounce’ off, and hit the ground unused, week after week. Meanwhile, many Christians expect the Pastor to have all the answers, when they themselves have not bothered to crack their OWN Bibles.
Bible prophecy can be one of the ways to ‘re-tool’ Christian education.
Baptists have long been mocked and held up to public ridicule by other denominations for being people of ‘the book’ (the KJV Bible). The belief that Bible prophecy is ‘too hard to comprehend’ because there is ‘too much work’ involved in its study is merely a clever means to duck to quality time with God’s book.
Let the others mock and laugh. To be identified as one who is a committed to the study of God’s word is not a negative, but the mark of a wise soldier in the army of their Lord. IF one daily continues in the Word, it will yield much fruit in terms of application, and understanding in these last days. IF one yields themselves to the study of the prophetic works of the Bible, they won’t be ‘shook up’ when they see things unfolding in society that may confuse the natural man. Proverbs 22:3 and 27:12 both read: A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

WHERE WE ARE ON GOD’S PROPHETIC CLOCK:
Here are a few major road marks of prophecy which are active, and of major importance.
1. Israel was born in one day as a nation May 14th, 1948. Thus, we are closer to the end of the Church Age than ever before. Israel is the ONLY nation that was created in ONE day, according to the Scriptures.
2. Hostility towards Christians is increasing--even in the United States. From the political system, the media, sports and entertainment kabal, and in the academic and business sectors. The common ‘mantra’ seems to be: “You can practice your religion, but leave it at the church.”
3. The rapture of the church (I Thes. 4:13-18) can take place at any time. As I mentioned before, there is no ‘prophetic bar’ to its occurrence.
4. The ‘explosion’ of knowledge via technology. In the late 1940s, television was just underway as a viable commercial product. In the late 1950s, satellites were being shot into space. Now look at where we are concerning technology. There is more information storage and computing power available in many a Smartphone than in a middle school library.

THE THREE MAIN VIEWS OF THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST:
There are three main views on the second coming of Jesus Christ of which the Christian must be aware. These three views, Pre-millennial, A-millennial and Post-millennial, center upon Christ’s reign upon the earth for 1,000 years, or a millennium. Millennium means thousand years. While the word millennium itself does not appear in the Bible, it refers to the thousand years mentioned six times in Revelation, Chapter 20. If you understand the meaning behind the basic terminology, you will be able to accurately trace any of the sub-groups should they surface. “The Millennial Kingdom” by John E. Walvoord, provides extensive details on these three main views, of which I will provide a brief summary:

1. Pre-millennial View: This view is the oldest of the millennial views, and is held to be more controversial that the other two. This system of interpretation of Scripture interprets prophecy in the same way as other Scripture. It does not separate the interpretation of prophetic, and regular Scriptures. It holds to a literal interpretation method of Scripture. In the ordering of events, the rapture of the church is placed before the Great Tribulation period, thus sparing the saints from the wrath of God as He pours it out upon the earth. The rapture of the believers in Jesus Christ can happen at any time. There is no prophetic ‘trigger’ needed for it to occur. Since the event of the rapture of the saints is a key doctrine in the Baptist church, this is the millennial view to which traditional Baptists hold.

2. A-millennial View: This is believed to be the most popular millennial view. It’s most general characteristic is that of a denial of a literal reign of Christ upon the earth. It does not recognize a literal interpretation of Scripture, does not hold to a clear view of the return of Jesus Christ to this earth, and does not hold to the rapture of the saints before the wrath of God is poured out during the Great Tribulation period. This view holds to the spiritualizing method of the interpretation of Scripture, which robs the second advent of its prophetic significance. This view is held in high esteem in the Roman Catholic Church and among those of a liberal Protestant theological view.

3. Post-millennial View: This viewpoint holds that the present age will end with a period of great spiritual blessing corresponding to the millennial promises accomplished through the preaching of the gospel. Also, there is a belief in this view that the entire world would become ‘Christianized’. This viewpoint has its roots in the Unitarian church movement, which places much emphasis upon the inherent ‘good’ of man being coupled with God’s mercy to the extent of a lack of sin on man’s part and no true need of salvation or holiness under Jesus Christ’s sacrifice upon the cross. It is also based upon the figurative interpretation of prophecy. Some Bible prophecy scholars believe that the Post-millennial view is watered-down A-millennialism. In this view, Christians will go through the Great Tribulation period, and will be hit by the rapture towards the end of the Great Tribulation.

WHAT ABOUT ISRAEL & ‘REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY’?
One of the other hot button issues of Bible prophecy concerns the nation of Israel and its fate in the last days. Some believe that the church has ‘replaced’ Israel in the eyes of God, and ‘no longer is important’ to Him.
This could not be further from the truth.
The Apostle Paul, who was a Jew, and wrote nearly half of the New Testament, through the mercies of God was the Apostle to the Gentiles. He notes in Romans, Chapter 11 how the mercies of God have ‘grafted’ Gentiles into the vine of blessing (Romans 11:11-14, 17, 19, 23-24) by Jesus Christ. We were first called Christians at Antioch. It was his call to bring believers ‘into the beloved’. Just as the Lord protects Christians, He still protects Israel and the Jews. Paul makes this fact clear in Romans 11, and in other segments of the New Testament.
God has not forgotten Israel. God has not replaced Israel with the church. Israel has always been the apple of God’s eye. The Jewish people have always been under God’s protection. Bible history records that those who have sought their hurt, either as individuals; a group, or a nation need merely to turn to the tragic ends of Pharaoh, Haman, and other Old Testament and New Testament figures who sought to exterminate them.
Their ends were NOT pretty.
What about our modern day? Recent World History illustrates what was done to the Jews in the Holocaust during World War II at the hands of the Nazi Reich plays a major role in current events as to the downward spiral of modern Germany. “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Genesis 12:3 (KJV). This Word from the Lord is just as living when it was first impressed upon Moses by the Holy Ghost, centuries ago.
Germany is not the only nation which has suffered from God’s wrath because of its treatment of the Jewish people. In a quick examination of various nations, Egypt, the UK, France, the former Soviet Union and the United States--among others--have all suffered various judgments from the hand of God based upon their treatment of Israel and the Jewish people. There will be a day of reckoning before the Lord as to how nations treated the tiny land of Israel. That day is not that far off.
Currently, governments, universities, members of the European Union and even the United Nations are being swept with another ‘lie’ from the pit of Hell against God’s people called the BDS movement. BDS stands for ‘Boycott, Divest and Sanction’ and is being used by some to ‘bully’ other institutions to dump their association with and purchase of goods and services associated with the nation of Israel. Again, examine your Bible and Genesis 12:3. What is happening to those who are staking their economic claims against Israel and her people? The Bible tells you so!

AN ADDITIONAL BLESSING OF STUDYING BIBLE PROPHECY:
As I bring this article to a close, there is yet another additional blessing of studying Bible prophecy: Having a solid answer to false prophets and false religious groups. One might say that this is an extra arrow in the quiver of the Christian soul winner; however, the argument could be made for following the command of the Apostle Peter to have an answer to those who ask you about the hope that you display in your daily life (I Peter 3:15). Other religions can only ‘guess’ as to where they will spend eternity. We who believe have hope and assurance as to where we be going.
Liftoff can happen off this pad called earth, at any moment.
Satchel Paige had no ‘guarantee’ that he would ever be though of as a major leaguer; but he kept on throwing strikes wherever, and whenever he had the opportunity to play the game of baseball. Home plate never moved. Christians should be of the same determined spirit by examining the wealth and treasures of the world to come with an examination of Bible prophecy in the pulpit…and the pew. We who are saved have an eternal hope, and an eternal destination that is not going to move. We should be about our father’s business, and take as many along with us as we can.

RECOMMENDED READINGS:
These are keyed to the King James Version of the Bible:
“The Millennial Kingdom” by John E. Walvoord.
“The Interpretation of Prophecy” by Dr. Paul Lee Tan.
“Dispensational Truth: Or God’s Plan and Purpose in the Ages” by Clarence Larkin.
“The Revelation Record: A Scientific and Devotional Commentary on the Prophetic Book of the End Times” by Henry M. Morris.
“Dictionary of Premillennial Theology: A Practical Guide to the People, Viewpoints and History of Prophetic Studies” Edited by Mal Couch.

Rev. M. G. Ramey is a Minister, Syndicated Columnist and Book Reviewer who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. (c) 2016 Barnstorm Communications.


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Lift up Christ and lay the sinner low. --C. H. Spurgeon

3 of 3 - Sunday - God Promises a Saviour - Luke 1:35-38 - 12/4/16

Verse 35 ... And the angel answered & said unto her, ... The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, & the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called ...

Matthew 1:20 ... (An angel removeth the doubt of Joseph) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream saying, Jo'seph, thou son of Da'vid, fear not to take unto thee Ma'ry thy wife: for that which is (begotten) cinceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.


Luke 1:35 ... the Son of God.

Mark 1:1 ... THE beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;


Luke 1:36 ... For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Genesis 18:14 ... Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, & Sa'rah shall have a son.


Luke 1:38 .. And Ma'ry said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.


Scripture reference used from The KJV Bible, SouthWestern Co., Nashville, TN

2 of 3 - Sunday - God Promioses a Saviour - Luke 1:31-34 - 12/4/16

Luke 1:31 ... And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, & bring forth a son, & ...

Isaiah 7:14 .... (The Lord promiseth Immanuel) Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, & bear a son, & (thou shalt call) shall call his name Im-man'u-el.


Luke 1:31 ... shalt call his name JESUS.

Luke 2:21 ... (The circumcision & purification) And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.


Luke 1:32 ... He shall be great, & ... shall be called the Son of the Highest; & ...

Mark 5:7 ... (Jesus casteth out the legions of devils) And cried what a loud voice, & said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.


Luke 1:32 ... the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father Da'vid:

Isaiah 9:6,7 ... (The coming of the Messiah & the enlargement of his Kingdom) For unto us is born, unto us a son is given: & the government shall be upon his shoulder: & his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government & peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of Da'vid, & upon his kingdom, to order it, & to establish it with judgment & with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.


Luke 1:33 ... And he shall reign over the house of Ja'cob for ever; & of his kingdom there shall be no end.

John 12:34 ... The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: & how savest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man?


Luke 1:34 ... Then said Ma'ry unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?


Scripture reference used from The KJV Bible, SouthWestern Co., Nashville, TN

1 of 3 - Sunday - God Promises a Saviour - Luke 1:26-30 - 12/4/16

Verse 26 ... And in the sixth month the angel Ga'bri-el was sent from God unto a city of Gal'i-lee, named Naz'a-reth.


Verse 27 ... To a virgin ... espoused to a man whose name was Jo'seph, of the house of Da'vid; & the virgin's name was Ma'ry.

Matthew 1:18 ... Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on the wise: when as his mother Ma'ry was espoused to Jo'seph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.


Luke 1:28 ... And the angel came in unto her, & said, ... Hail, thou that art (graciously accepted, or much graced) highly favored, ... the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.


Luke 1:29 ... And when she saw him, ... she was troubled at his saying, & cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

Matthew 1:12 ... (The angel foretelleth to Zacharias the birth & office of John) And when Zach-a-ri'as saw him, he was troubled, & fear fell upon him.


Luke 1:30 ... And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Ma'ry: for thou hast found favor with God.


Scripture reference from The KJV Bible, SouthWestern Co., Nashville, Tennessee

Sunday - Alpha & Omega - Revelation 22:12-21 - 11/27/16

Nothing may be added to or taken from the words of this book.

Verse 12 ... And, behold, I come quickly; & ...

Verse 7 ... Behold, I come: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.


Revelation 22:12 ... my reward is with me, ...

Isaiah 40:10 ... Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, & his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, & his work before him.


Revelation 22:12 ... to give every man according to his work shall be.

Revelation 20:12 ... (The general resurrection & judgment) And I saw the dead, small & great, stand before God; & the books were opened: & another book was opened, which is the book of life: & the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.


Revelation 22:13 ... I am Al'pha & O'me-ga, the beginning & the end, the first & the last.

Revelation 21:6 ... And he said unto me, It is done. I am Al'pha & O'me-ga, the beginning & the end. I will give unto him that is athrist of the fountain of the water of life freely.


Revelation 22:14 ... Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right ...

Revelation 22:2 ... (The river & tree of life) In the midst of the street of it, & on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, & yielded her fruit every month: & the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.


Revelation 22:14 ... & may enter in through the gates into the city.

Revelation 21:27 ... (Nothing that defileth can enter therein) And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.


Revelation 22:15 ... For without are ...

Colossians 3:6 ... For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.


Revelation 22:15 ... dogs, & sorcerers, & whoremongers, & murderers, & idolaters, & whosoever loveth & maketh a lie.

Philippians 3:2 ... (The apostle warneth them against them false teachers) Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.


Revelation 22:16 ... I Jesus have sent mine angle to testify unto you these things in the churches.

Revelation 1:1 ... THE Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; & he sent & signified it by his angel unto his servant John:


Revelation 22:16 ...I am the root & the offspring of Da'vid, & the offspring of Da'vid ...

Revelation 5:5 ... And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Ju'da, the Root of Da'vid hath prevailed to open the book, & to loose the seven seals thereof.


Revelation 22:16 ... the bright & morning star.

Numbers 24:17 ... I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Ja'cob, & a Sceptre shall rise out of Is'ra-el, & shall (smite through the princes of Moab) smite the corners of Mo'ab, & destroy all the children of Sheth.


Revelation 22:17 ... And the Spirit and ... the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come.

Revelation 21:2,9 ... (A new heaven & new earth. The heavenly Jerusalem described) And I John saw the holy city, new Je-ru'sa-lem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plaques, & talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.


Revelation 22:17 ... And let him that is athrist come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

John 7:37 ... (Jesus teacheth in the temple) In that last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood & cried, saying, If any man thrist, let him come unto me, & drink.


Revelation 22:18 ... For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, ... If any many shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plaques that are written in this book:

Proverbs 30:6 ... Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, & thou be found a liar.


Re3velation 22:19 ... And if any man shall take away from the words of this prophecy, ... God shall take away his part (from the tree of life) out of the book of life, & out of ...

Exodus 32:33 ... And the LORD said unto Mo'ses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.


Revelation 22:19 ... the holy city, & from the things which are written in this book.

Revelation 21:2 .... (A new heaven & new earth) And I John saw the holy city, new Je-ru'sa-lem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.


Revelation 22:20 ... He which testifieth these things saith, ... Surely I come quickly:

Revelation 22:12 ... And, behold, I come quickly; & my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.


Revelation 22:20 ... Amen ...

John 21:25 ... And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.


Revelation 22:20 ... Even so, Come, Lord Jesus.

II Timothy 4:8 ... Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: & not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.


Revelation 22:21 ... The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen

II Thessalonians 3:18 ... (Prayer & Salutation) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Scripture reference used from The KJV Bible, SouthWestern Co., Nashville, TN

Tuesday - This Is The Messiah - John 7:37-43 - 11/21/16

Jesus in Galilee teacheth in the temple. What the people think of Jesus.

Verse 37 ... In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus' stood & cried saying,

Leviticus 23:36 ... Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD; on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation unto you, & ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a (day of restraint) solemn assembly & ye shall do no servile work therein.


John 7:37 ... If any man thirst, let him come unto me, & drink.

Revelation 22:17 ... And the Spirit & the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athrist cine, And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.


John 7:38 ... He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hat saith,...

Deuteronomy 18:15 ... The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;


John 7:38 ... out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

John 4:14 ... (Jesus' discourse with a woman of Samaria) But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thrist; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.


John 7:39 ... But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet...

John 16:7 ... (Jesus' discourse concluded: He reneweth the promise of the Comforter) Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.


John 7:39 ... glorified...

John 12:16 ... (Jesus' public entry into Jerusalem) These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these were written of him, & that they had done these thing unto him.


John 7:40 ... Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is ... the Prophet.

John 1:21 ... (The testimony of John the Baptist) And they asked him, What then? Art thou E-li'as? And he saith, I am not. Art thou (or a prophet) that Prophet? And he answered, No.


John 7:41 ... Others said, ... This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come ...

John 4:42 ... (Many of the Samaritans believe on him) And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, & know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.


John 7:41 ... out of Gal'i-lee?

John 7:52 They answered & said unto him, Art thou also of Gal'i-lee? Search, & look: for out of Gal'i-lee ariseth no prophet.


John 7:42 ... Hath not the Scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of Da'vid, & out of the town of Beth'le-hem ...

Luke 2:4 ... (The taxation) And Jo'seph also went up from Gal'i-lee, out of the city of Naz'a-reth, into Ju-de'a, unto the city of Da'vid, which is called Beth'le-hem, (because he was of the house & lineage of Da'vid,)


John 7:42 ...where Da'vid was?

I Samuel 16:1,4 ... (Samuel sent to Beth-lehem to anoint one of the sons of Jesse) AND the LORD said unto Sam'u-el, How long wilt thou morn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Is'ra-el? fill thine horn with oil, & go, I will send thee to Jes'se the Beth'le-hem-itee: For I have provided me a king among his sons.

And Sam'u-el did that which the LORD spake, & came to Beth'le-hem. And the elders of the town trembled at his (meeting) coming & said, Comest thou peaceably?


John 7:43 ... So .. there was a division among the people because of him.

John 7:12 (goeth up to the feast of tabernacles) And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.


Scripture reference used from The KJV Bible, SouthWestern Co., Nashville, TN

Sunday - Living Waters - Revelation 22:1-7 - 11/20/16

The river & tree of life. The blessedness of God's servants. The conclusion: sundry (different times) directions, promises, & exhortations.

Verse 1 ... AND he shewed me ... a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God & of the Lamb.

Ezekiel 47:1 ... (The vision of holy waters) AFTERWARD he brought me again unto the door of the house; & behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, & the waters came down from under, from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.


Revelation 22:2 ... In the midst of the street of it, & on either side of the river, was there ...

Revelation 21:21 ... And the 12 gates were 12 pearls; every several gate was one of pearl: & the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.


Revelation 22:2 ... the tree of life, which bare 12 manner of fruits, & yielded her fruit every month: & the leaves of the tree were ...

Revelation 2:7 ... (Christ's message to the angel of the church in Ephesus) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.


Revelation 22:2 ...for the healing of the nations.

Revelation 21:24 ... And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: & the kings of the earth do bring their glory & honour into it.


Revelation 22:3 ... And there shall be no more curse: ...

Zechariah 14:11 ... And men shall dwell in it, & there shall be no more utter destruction; but Je-ru'sa-lem (shall abide) shall be safely inhabited.


Revelation 22:3 ... but the throne of God & of the Lamb shall be in it; & his servants shall serve him:

Ezekiel 48:35 ...It was round about 18,000 measures: & the name of the city from that day shall be (Jehovah-shammah) The LORD is there.


Revelation 22:4 ... And they shall see his face;

Matthew 5:8 ... (The sermon on the mount: The beautitudes) Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.


Revelation 22:4 ... his name shall be in their foreheads.

Revelation 14:1 ... (The Lamb on mount Zion with his company) AND I looked, & lo, a Lamb stood on mount Si'on, & with him a hundred forty & four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.


Revelation 22:5 ... And there shall be no night there; & they need no candle, neither light of the sun; ...

Revelation 21:23,25 ...(The light & glory of the city) And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, & the Lamb is the light thereof.

And the gates of it shall not be shut all by day: for there shall be no night there.


Revelation 22:5 ... the Lord God giveth them light: ...

Psalm 84:11 ... For the LORD god is a sun & shield: the LORD will give grace & glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.


Revelation 22:5 ...& they shall reign for ever & ever.

Revelation 3:21 ... (Christ's message to the angel of the church in Laodicea)To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I overcame, & am set down with my Father in his throne.


Revelation 22:6 ... And he said unto me, ... These sayings are faithful & true: & the Lord God of the holy prophets ...

Revelation 19:9 ... (and rejoice that the marriage of the Lamb is come) And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.


Revelation 22:6 ... sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which shortly be done.

Revelation 1:1 ... THE Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; & he sent & signified it by his angel unto his servant John.


Revelation 22:7 ... Behold, I come quickly: ...

Revelation 3:11... (Christ's message to the church in Philadelphia) Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.


Revelation 22:7 ...blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Revelation 1:3 ... Blessed is he that readeth, & they that hear the words of this prophecy, & keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.


Scripture reference used from The KJV Bible, SouthWestern Co., Nashville, TN

Saturday - The Paralytic Walks Again - Matthew 9:2-8 - 11/19/16

Jesus healeth one sick of the palsy.

Verse 2 ... And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: ...

Mark 2:3 ... And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.


Matthew 9:2 ... & Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

Matthew 8:10 ... When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, & said to them that followed, verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Is'ra-el.


Matthew 9:3 ... And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.


Matthew 9:4 ... And Jesus ... knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?

Matthew 12:25 ... And Jesus know their thoughts, & said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; & every city or house or house divided against itself shall not stand:


Matthew 9:5 ... For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or say, Arise & walk?


Matthew 9:6 ... But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, & go unto thine house.


Matthew 9:7 ... And he arose, & departed to his house.


Matthew 9:8 ... But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled & glorified God, which had given such power unto men.


Scripture reference used from The KJV Bible, SouthWestern So., Nashville, TN

Friday - The Lord Acts with Passion - Isaiah 42:10-17 - 11/18/16

An exhortation to praise God for his salvation. His rebuke of Israel for their unbelief.

Verse 10 ... Sing unto the LORD a new song, & his praise from the end of the earth, ...

Psalm 98:1 ... O SING unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand & his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.


Isaiah 42:10 ... ye that go down to the sea, and ... (fullness thereof) all that is therein; the isles, & the inhabitants thereof.


Isaiah 42:11 ... Let the wilderness & the cities thereof lift up their voices, the villages that Ke'dar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.


Isaiah 42:12 ... Let them give glory unto the LORD, & declare his praise in the islands.


Isaiah 42:13 ... The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, ...

Isaiah 31:4 ... For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion & the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the (multitude) noise of them: so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zi'on, & for the hill thereof.


Isaiah 42:14 ...I have long time holden my peace; I have been still & refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy & (swallow, or sup up) devour at once.


Isaiah 42:15 ... I will make waste mountains & hills, & dry up all their herbs; & I will make the rivers islands, & I will dry up the pools.


Isaiah 42:16 ... And I will bring the blind by a way they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them & crooked things (into straightness) straight. These things will I do unto them, & not forsake them.


Isaiah 42:17 ... They shall be turned back, ...

Psalm 97:7 ... Confounded be all they that serve graven imagines, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.


Isaiah 42:17 ... they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.


Scripture reference used from The KJV Bible, SouthWestern Co., Nashville, TN

Thursday - The Sustaining Healing Water of Life - Isaiah 41:17-20 - 11/17/16

God calleth upon idolaters to consider his power to aid his people. His gracious assurance to Israel of protection.

Verse 17 ... When the poor & needy seek water, & there is none, & their tongue faileth for thrist, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Is'ra-el will not forsake them.


Verse 18 ... I will open ... rivers in high places, & fountains in the midst of the valleys: ...

Isaiah 44:3 ... For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, & floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my Spirit upon the seed, & my blessing upon thine offspring:


Isaiah 41:18 ...I will make the ... wilderness a pool of water, & the dry land springs of water.

Psalm 107:35 ... He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, & dry ground into watersprings.


Isaiah 41:19 ... I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, & the myrtle, & the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, & the pine, & the box tree together:


Isaiah 41:20 ... that they may see, ... & know, & consider, & understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, & the Holy One of Is'ra-el hath created it.

Job 12:9 ... Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?


Scripture reference used from The KJV Bible, SouthWestern Co., Nashville, TN

Wednesday - God Is Present & the City is Secure - Psalm 46 - 11/16/16

Zion's confidence in God. An exhortation to behold the works of the Lord.

Verse 1 ... GOD is our refuge & strength, ...

Psalm 91:2 ... I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge & my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.


Psalm 46:1 ... a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 145:18 ... The LORD is nigh unto all that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.


Psalm 46:2 ... Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, & though the mountains be carried into (the heart of the seas) the midst of the sea;


Psalm 46:3 ... Though ... the waters thereof roar & be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

Matthew 7:25 ...And the rain descended, & the floods came, & the winds blew, & beat upon that house; & it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.


Psalm 46:4 ... There is a river, ... the streams where of shall make glad ...

Isaiah 8:7 ... Now therefore behold, the Lord bringeth up up upon them the waters of the river, strong & many, even the king of As-syr'i-a, & all his glory: he shall come up over all his channels, & go over all his banks:


Psalm 46:4 ... the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

Isaiah 60:14 ... The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; & all they that despised thee they shall bow themselves down at the soles of they feet; & they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Is'ra-el.


Psalm 46:5 ... God is ... in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, ... (when the morning appeareth) & that right early.


Psalm 46:6 ... The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, ...

Psalm 2:1 ... Why do the heathen rage, & the people (meditate) imagine a vain thing?


Psalm 46:6 ...the earth melted.

Joshua 2:9,24 ... And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, & that your terror is fallen upon us, & that all the inhabitants of the land (melt) faint because of you.

And they said unto Josh'u-a, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do (melt) faint because of us.


Psalm 46:7 ... The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of JA'cob is (a high place for us) our refuge. Selah.


Psalm 46:8 ... Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.

Psalm 66:5 ... Come & see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.

Isaiah 2:4 ... And he shall judge among the nations & shall rebuke many people: & they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, & their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.


Psalm 46:9 ... he breaketh the bow, & cutteth the spear in sunder; ...

Psalm 76:3 ... There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, & the sword, & the battle. Selah.


Psalm 46:9 ... he burneth the chariot in the fire.

Ezekiel 39:9 ... And they that dwell in the cities of Is'ra-el shall go forth, & shall set on fire & burn the weapons, both the shields & the bucklers, the bows & the arrows, & the handstaves, & the spears, & they shall burn them with fire seven years:


Psalm 46:10 ... Be still, & know that I am God: ... I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Isaiah 2:11,17 ... The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, & the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down; & the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, & the haughtiness of men shall be made low; & the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.


Psalm 46:11 ... The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Js'cob is our refuge. Selah

Psalm 46:7 ... The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Ja'cob is our refuge. Selah.


Scripture reference used from The KJV Bible, SouthWestern Co., Nashville, TN

Tuesday - Healing River Flows from the Temple - Ezekiel 47:1,2,12 - 11/15/16

The vision of the holy waters.

Verse 1 ... AFTERWARD he brought me again unto the door of the house; & behold, ... waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, & the waters came down from under, from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.

Revelation 22:1 ... And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God & of the Lamb.


Ezekiel 47:2 ... Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, & led me about the way without unto the outer gate by the way that looketh eastward; &, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.


Ezekiel 47:12 ... And ...by the river up on the bank thereof, on this side & on that side,

Ezekiel 47:7 ... Now when I had returned, behold, at the at the bank (lip) of the river were many trees on the one side & on the other.

Ezekiel 47:12 ... shall (shall come up) grow all trees for meat, ... whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new (principal) according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: & the fruit thereof shall be for meat, ...

Psalm 1:3 ... But thou, O LORD, art a shield (about) for me; my glory, & he lifter up of mine head.


Ezekiel 47:12 ... & the leaf thereof (for bruises & sores) for medicine.


Scripture reference used from The KJV Bible, SouthWestern Co., Nashville, TN

Monday - Wash & Be Healed - II Kings 5:10-14 - 11/14/16

Elisha , sending Naaman to Jordan, cureth him of his leprosy.

Verse 10 ... And E-li'sha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and ... wash in Jordan 7 times, & thy flesh shall come again to thee, & thou shall be clean. ... The 7 means fullness/completeness in Biblical times.

II Kings 4:41 ... But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; & he said, pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot (evil thing).


II Kings 5:11 ... But Na'a-man was wroth, & went away, & said, ... (I said) (Or said with myself He will surely come out) thought, He will surely come out to me, & stand & call on the name of the LORD his God, & ... strike (move up or down) his hand over the place, & recover the leper.


II Kings 5:12 ... Are not Ab'a-na (Amana) & Phar'par rivers of Da-mas'cus, better than all the waters of Is'ra-el? may I wash in them, & be clean? so he turned & went in a rage.


II Kings 5:13 ... And his servants came near, & spake unto him, & said, my father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, & be clean?


II Kings 5:14 ... Then went he down, & dipped himself 7 times in Jor'dan, according to the saying of the man of God: & ... his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child ...

Job 33:25 ... His flesh shall be fresher (than Childhood) than a child's: he shall return to the days of his youth:


II Kings 5:14 ... & he was clean.

Luke 4:27 ... And many lepers were in Is'ra-el in the time of El-i-se'us the prophet: & none of them was cleansed, saving Na'a-man the Syrian.


Scripture reference used from The KJV Bible, SouthWestern Co., Nashville, TN

Wednesday - Life in the New Heaven & New Earth - Isaiah 65:20-25 - 11/2/16

The prosperity & glory of Zion under the new dispensation.

Verse 20 ... There shall be more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die a hundred years old; ... but the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed.

Ecclesiastes 8:12 ... Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, & his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:


Isaiah 65:21 ... And ... they shall build houses, & inhabit them; & they shall plant vineyards, & eat the fruit of them.

Isaiah 62:8 ...The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, & by the arm of his strength, (If I give) Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; & the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:


Isaiah 65:22 ... They shall not build, & another inhabit; they shall not plant, & another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, & mine elect (shall make them continue long, or shall wear out) shall long enjoy the work of their hands.


Isaiah 65:23 ... They shall not labour in vain, ... nor bring forth for trouble;...

Deuteronomy 28:42 ... Thou shalt begat sons & daughters, but (they shall not be thine) thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity.


Isaiah 65:23 ... for ... they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, their offspring with them.

Isaiah 61:9 ... And their seed shall be known among the Gen'tiles, & their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed.


Isaiah 65:24 ... And it shall come to pass, that ... before they call, I will answer; & while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

Psalm 32:5 ... I acknowledged my sin unto thee, & mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; & thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.


Isaiah 65:25 ... The wolf & the lamb shall feed together, & the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: ...

Isaiah 11:6,7,9 ...The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, & the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf & the young lion & the fatling together; & a little child shall lead them.

And the cow & bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: & the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.


Isaiah 65:25 ...& dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

Genesis 3:14 ... And the LORD God saith unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, & above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, & dust shall thou eat all the days of thy life:


Scripture reference used from The KJV Bible, The SouthWestern Co., Nashville, TN

Tuesday - Who May Live With God - PSalm 15 - 11/1/16

The psalmist describeth a citizen of Zion. A Psalm of David.

Verse 1 ... LORD, ... who shall ...

Psalm 24:5 .. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, & righteousness from the God of his salvation.


Psalm 15:1 ... (sojourn) abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in ... they holy hill?

Psalm 2:6 ... Yet have I (anointed) my king (upon Zion the hill of holiness) upon my holy hill of Zion.


Psalm 15:2 ... He that walketh uprightly, & worketh righteousness, &

Isaiah 33:15 ... He that walketh (righteousnesses) righteously, & speaketh (uprightnesses) uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of (deceit) oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of (bloods) blood, & shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;


Psalm 15:2 ... speaketh the truth in his heart.

Ephesians 15:2 ... Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.


Psalm 15:3 ... He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doth evil to his neighbor, ...

Leviticus 19:16 ... Thou shalt not go up & down as a talebearer among thy people; neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor: I am the LORD.


Psalm 15:3 ... nor (receiveth or endureth) taketh up a reproach against his neighbor.


Psalm 15:4 ... In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that ...

Esther 8:2 ... And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Ha'man, & gave it to Mor'de-cai. And Es'ther set Mor'de-cai over the house of Ha'man.


Psalm 15:4 ... sweareth to his own hurt, & changeth not.

Judges 11:35 ... And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, & said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought ne very low, & thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, & I can not go back.


Psalm 15:5 ... He that putteth not out of his money to usury ...

Deuteronomy 23:19 ... Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury any thing that is lent upon usury.


Psalm 15:5 ... nor taketh reward against the innonemce. He that doeth these things ... shall never be moved.

Psalm 16:8 ... I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.


Scripture reference used from The KJV Bible, The SouthWestern Co., Nashville, TN

Monday - God Will Dwell With Them - Exodus 29:42-46 - 10/31/16

The continual burnt offering. God's promise to dwell among the children of Israel.

Verse 42 ...This shall be ... continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD, ...

Verse 38 ... Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually.


Verse 42 ... where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.

Exodus 25:22 ... And there I will meet with thee, & I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Is'ra-el.


Exodus 29:43 ... And there I will meet with the children of Is'ra-el, & the tabernacle... shall be sanctified by my glory.

Exodus 40:43 ... Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, & the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.


Exodus 29:44 ... And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, & the altar: I will ... sanctify also both Aa'ron & his sons, to minister to me in the priest's office.

Leviticus 21:15 ... Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: For I the LORD sanctify him.


Exodus 29:45 ... And ... I will dwell among the children of Is'ra-el, & will be their God.

Exodus 25:8 ... And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.


Exodus 29:46 ... And they shall know that ... I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of E'gypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.

Exodus 20:2 ... I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of E'gypt, out of the house of (servants) bondage.


Scripture reference used from The KJV Bible, SouthWestern Co., Nashville, TN

Wednesday - By His Bruises We Are Healed - Isaiah 53:1-6 -10/26/16

The Messiah despised & rejected. His sufferings in our behalf.

Isaiah 53:1 ... Who hath believed our ...

John 12:38 ... That the saying of E-sa'ias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, LORD, who hath believed our report? & to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?


Isaiah 53:1 ... report? & to whom ... doctrine

Isaiah 53:1 ... is the arm of the LORD revealed?

Isaiah 51:9 ... Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Ra'hab, & wounded the dragon?


Isaiah 53:2 ... For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, & as a root out of a dry ground ...

Isaiah 11:1 ... And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jes'se, & a Branch shall grow out of his roots:


Isaiah 53:2 ... he hath no form nor comeliness; & when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

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Isaiah 53:3 ... He is despised & rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and ...

Psalm 22:6 ... But I am a worm, & no man; a reproach of men, & despised of the people.


Isaiah 53:3 ... acquainted with grief: and ...

Hebrews 4:15 ... For we have not a high priest which can not be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.


Isaiah 53:3 ... as a hiding of faces from him, or, from us.. we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, & ... we esteemed him not

John 1:10,11 ...He was in the world, & the world knew him not.

He came unto his own, & his own received him not.


Isaiah 53:4 ... (As a hiding of faces from him, or, from us) Surely ...he hath borne our griefs, & carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, & afflicted.

Matthew 8:17 ... That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by E-sa'ias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, & bare our sickness.


Isaiah 53:5 ... But he was (tormented) wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; with his...

Romans 4:25 ... Who was delivered for our offences, & was raised again for our justification.


Isaiah 53:5 ... stripes (bruise) we are healed.

I Peter 2:24 ... Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.


Isaiah 53:6 ... All we like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; & the LORD ...

Psalm 119:176 ... I have gone astray like a lost sheep: seek they servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.


Isaiah 53:6 ... hath laid on him the iniquity of us all (hath made the iniquities of us all to meet on him).


Scripture reference used from the KJV Bible, The SouthWestern Co., Nashville, TN

Tuesday - Cry for Help Answered - Psalm 22:1-5 - 10/25/16

The psalmist's complaint in distress, & prayer for help.


Psalm 22:1 ...My God,

Matthew 27:46 ... And about the 9th hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying E'li, E'li, la'ma sa-bach-tha-ni? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?


Psalm 22:1 ... my God, shy hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, & from the words of my roaring?

Hebrews 5:7 ... Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers & supplications with strong crying & tears unto him that was able to save him from death, & was heard in that he feared;


Psalm 22:2 ... O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not: and in the night season, & am not silent (no silence to me).


Psalm 22:3 ... But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Is'ra-el.

Deuteronomy 10:21 ... He is they praise, & he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great & terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.


Psalm 22:4 ... Our fathers trusted in thee:they trusted, & thou didst deliver them


Psalm 22:5 ... They cried unto thee, & were delivered: they trusted in thee, & were not confounded.

Psalm 25:2,3 ... O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me,

Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.


Scripture reference used from the KJV Bible, The SouthWestern Co., Nashville, TN

Monday - I Know Their Suffering - 10/24/16 .. Exodus 3:7-10

God Sent Moses to deliver Israel

Exodus 3:7 ... And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in E'gypt, & have heard their cry ...

Exodus 2:23 ... And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of E'gypt died: & the children of Is'ra-el sighed by reason of the bondage, & they cried, & their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

Exodus 2:24 ... And God heard their groaning, & God remembered his covenant with A'bra-ham, with I'ssac, and with Ja'cob.


Exodus 3:7 ... by reason of their taskmasters; for

Exodus 1:11 ... Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pha'roh treasure cities, Pi'thoin & Ra-am'ses.


Exodus 3:7 ... I know their sorrows;

Exodus 2:25 ... And God looked upon the children of Is'ra-el, & God (knew)had respect for them.


Exodus 3:8 ... And I am come down to

Genesis 11:5, 7, 18, 21 ... And The LORD came down to see the city & the tower, which the children of men builded.

Go to, let us go down, & there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

And Pe'leg lived 30 years, and begat Re'u.

And Re'u lived after he begat Se'rug 207 years, & begat sons & daughters.


Exodus 3:8 ... deliver them out of the hand of the E-gyp'tians, & to bring them up of that land

Exodus 6:6,8 ... Wherefore say unto the children of Is'ra-el, I am the LORD, & I will bring you out from under the burdens of the E-gyp'tians, & I will rid you of their bondage, & I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, & with great judgments:

And I will take you to me for a people, & I will be to you a God: & ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of tthe E-gyp'tians.


Exodus 3:8 ... unto a good land & a large, unto a land

Deuteronomy 1:25 ... And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, & brought unto word again, & said, It is a good land which the LORD our God doth give us.


Exodus 3:8 ... flowing with milk & honey; unto the place of

Exodus 3:17 ... And I haave said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of E'gypt unto the land of the Ca'naan-ites, & the Hit'tites, & the Am'o-rites, & the Hi'vites, & the Jeb'u-sites, unto a land flowing with milk & honey.


Exodus 3:8 ... the Ca'naan-ites, & the Hit'tites, & the Am'o-rites, & the Per'iz-zites, & the Hi'vites, & the Jeb'u-sites.

Genesis 15:18 ... In that same day the LORD made a covenant with A'bram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of E'gypt unto the great river, the river Eu-phra'tes;


Exodus 3:9 ... Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: & I have seen the oppression wherewith the E-gyp'tians oppress them.

Exodus 1: 11,13,14,22 ... Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pha'roh treasure cities, Pi'thom & Ra-am'ses.

And the E-gyp'tians made the children of Is'ra-el to serve with rigour:

And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, & in brick, & in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.

And Pha'raoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, & every daughter ye shall save alive.


Exodus 3:10 ... Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pha'roh, that thou mayest bring my people the children of Is'ra-el out of E'gypt.

Psalm 105:26 ... He sent Mo'ses his servant; & Aa'ron whom he had chosen.


Scripture reference used from the KJV Bible, The SouthWestern Co., Nashville, TN

Judging Me

“Seeking justice for those who cannot fight for themselves is a pursuit that deeply binds me. My honor to this commitment has allowed me to rise above a set of ongoing horrific and absurd circumstances.”

--From the book “Judging Me”
By Mary Elizabeth Bullock

“Judging Me” by Mary Elizabeth Bullock is actually three books in one. First, it covers--in detail--the abuse suffered by the author during her childhood and formative years. Second, it covers her as she grows up and makes her way through the maze of being a ‘survivor’, as she makes her way towards adulthood, eventually entering the field of law. She rises in the ranks of the legal profession--but hides a sinister ‘payback’ side which manages to surface. Lastly, the work features a very frank discussion of the field of law from an insider’s view as a law school student, lawyer, teacher of law, and finally--a judge.

The book has been out for a little while, as it is listed on Amazon.com. This is NOT going to be a book that one will ‘breeze through’ in a weekend, nor does it have a ‘happily every after’ ending. However, IF you are looking for a work that speaks specifically on the issues and sub-issues which surround childhood sexual abuse, Bullock delivers. Those who deal with victims of such abuse in the counseling center or the jailhouse should view this book as required reading, whether dealing with female OR male victims.

“Judging Me” is a self-published memoir (2013, 162 pages, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform), composed of 27 short chapters. Bullock, who has retired from the bench, writes honestly from--and for--the heart. Yes, the book does discuss spirituality and religion--and its impact upon the issues which she raises. However, it does NOT examine the freeing relationship of Jesus Christ which has appeared in the testimonies and memoirs of some of the other authors in this genre. At the end of the day though, the real blessing of the book comes from the fact that the author is on the front lines fighting for others. This is a credit to her legal training, and her dedication to helping others who may not have a champion for themselves.

“Judging Me” can be found on line, or contact may be made with the author at honorablejudgebullock@gmail.com.

Mike Ramey is a Minister, Reviewer and Syndicated Columnist who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. On Line Reviews brings current and lesser-known titles to public light in the quest to re-kindle a love for reading in a sea of modern technology.


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Lift up Christ and lay the sinner low. --C. H. Spurgeon

Robert Rosenthall and Africa

https://plus.google.com/117832574939433258919/posts ... Robert Rosenthall and Africa

Destinations: Hope ..A Guide Through Life's Unexpected Journeys

Book Review Summary . Book Review Preview . Shellie Nichol . Pain . Hope . Radio Broadcaster . Radio Trip . Rest Stops . Detour . God's Journey . Inspiration


Beep ... Beep ... Beep

The hospital monitor beeps loud and constant with Shellie's beautiful son's heart attached at the other end. The beep stops. An alarm sounds. Kody is not breathing. The nurses rush in and yell for her son to breathe.

Shellie shares the most difficult parts of her life in her book. She also suffered from being physically and mentally abused as a child, molested, bullied, going through two divorces, fighting cervical cancer, losing a child, suffering from an eating disorder, experiencing panic and anxiety, ADD, OCD, and a doctor pronouncing a death sentence on her first born.

This was the very second her life changed and led her to the edge of the exciting ride down ... when her life would suddenly become a miraculous story.

"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." 'Proverbs 16:9'

Shellie is glad for those who have decided to come on this journey with her. Shellie never gives up.

She wants to make sure we have everything we need. Grab a suitcase to all out travel essentials.


Tissue (for the tears that will sneak up on you)
Disinfectant soap (to wash away the stubborn stains)
Underclothes
Umbrella (for the rain will surely run into)
Band-Aids (to protect your wounds, so they can heal}
Your Great Big Book of Hope (Your Bible)
Sunglasses (the sun is going shine and it will be brrr-ight - that's God's promise, and her's)

One Way - Preparation

"All journey's have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware."-_ Martin Buder

When we are children, our innocence allows us to pave the perfect road. We believe everything is perfect, that it will stay perfect, and nothing will get in our way.

There is no perfect road. God himself says: "For I know the plans I have for you; declares the Lord; plans to prosper you and not to to harm you, plan to give you a hope and a future"

So are you ready to jump in and discover God's plans?

Heather and her husband already had a son when they found out they were expecting twins. The names Rebekah and Rachel came to mind before she knew they would be girls.

Heather enjoyed dressing her girls up in the same outfits.

Then one fateful day, Heather discovered while changing her baby's diaper of her 18=month old baby something that did not appear right. Rebekah had to have a biospy which determined a rare form of cancer.

Rachel now 6, began to complain about back pain . Rachel began screaming in pain and asked to go to the doctor.

Rachel had leukemia, her bone marrow and spinal fluid.

Heather's mother lost all hope and died. She died of a broken heart,

Miraculously, despite the aggresive treatments, Rachel suffered no side effects at all: God had answers these prayers.

Are you ready to ask God to take over? Do you trust ?Him?

Breakdown Lane - Feel - Do

Choice

Think - Feel - Do

Most traveled is best of all in the anticipation or the remembering the reality by more to do with losing your luggage. _ Regina Nadelson

Shame

Thin - Feel - Do

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight" Proverbs 3:5-6

She became a Christian at the young age of 6. She fell in love with Jesus. She rode her bike to Church all alone.

Wrong Way

Control

Thin - Feel - Do

"Certainly. travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanence, in the ideas of living _
Mary Ritter Beard

Well, I know we may be weary and tired of driving, but we still have a long way to go before we can rest. She promise to speak only the truth, and the truth hurts sometime.

They were dealing with health issues about Kody = which were terminal.

Struggle

Think - Feel - Do

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:18

I'm sure you're feeling like we need to rest a while longer before hitting the road again.

High Water

Grief

"Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffer harms." Proverbs 13:20

Are you feeling better about your struggles? Are you sensing the power of hope?

Travel Buddies
But Oh, thank God for the Travel Buddies - Those wonderful people placed in your path who stick like glue.

Perseverance

Think - Feel - Do

"Sometimes it takes a wrong turn to get you to the right place." _ Mandy Hall

Detour

Diversion

Think - Feel - Do

merry-go-round, you see a lot of the scene.

The author, Shellie Nichol hosted the radio show, 'Amazing Hope' on Salem Network's KFAX in San Francisco for over a year before launching her own channel on Live365.com. Amazing Hope Radio is one of the fastest-growing Christian radio stations on Live365.com currently ranking #7 in the Christian genre and #280 in all genres (out of 6,000 stations).

Family Shepherds

“The character of the Church and of the state depends on the character of the family. If religion dies out in the family, it cannot elsewhere be maintained.”
--From the book “Family Shepherds”
By Voddie Baucham, Jr.


Studies have recently surfaced about the rush of Millennial youth back to the church. One of the cornerstones of such research: Millennials are returning to church because they are hungry for the truth regarding God, Jesus Christ, church and…the family. Thus, in our ‘teched-out’ age, a return to tradition is being ushered in not based upon whim, but based upon actual need. One cannot learn how to lead a family for the glory of God, unless one understands that God has given men the duty and responsibility to create and lead godly homes, and raise up godly families.

Pastor and Author Voddie Baucham, Jr. has put together an inspirational work that clearly shows how men have been called by God to lead in the home--right from the Scriptures. His book “Family Shepherds: Calling And Equipping Men To Lead Their Homes” (2011, 190 Pages, Crossway) is an outgrowth of some monthly meetings he held with the men of his own church. Some of the talks he had with them centered upon the need for strengthening their own homes, with tools provided from the Word of God. In his bold view the church is the equipper of men to head their own families…NOT the usurper of that ‘head of household’ role from a godly man.

“Family Shepherds” is divided into five sections, with three chapters each. Among the sections you will find such headings as: “The Need To Equip Family Shepherds”, “The Training And Discipline Of Children”, and “Marriage Enrichment”. What makes the work truly useful is the section on single-headed homes/fatherless families…something which contains a lot of useful items that swim against the ‘social’ dictates of the modern era.

Godly men don’t just ‘happen’ to become spiritual leaders, leading husbands and loving fathers. It takes work, more work, and still more work, rooted in strong churches with courageous pastors who will train their men in how to get the job done. If you want a successful blueprint, this is the book for you--and your church.

Mike Ramey is a Minister, Reviewer and Syndicated Columnist who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. On Line Reviews brings current and lesser-known titles to public light in the quest to re-kindle a love for reading in a sea of modern technology.



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Lift up Christ and lay the sinner low. --C. H. Spurgeon

The Full Sufficiency of Christ .. Book Review

Book Review . Jesus . Eternal Life . Salvation . Christ . Death . Resurrection . Hell

For God so loved the world, that HE gave HIS only Son, that whosoever believes in HIM will; have eternal
life. (John 3:16)

The Bible teaches that people are sinners by nature and that we choose to sin, or do wrong. As Romans says, "...all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written>(None is righteous, no not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.


Without God we are in bondage to sin, we are in chains.

Most of the world's religions, for except for Christianity, teach that a mixture of faith and works is needed to be made right with God.

Ephesians 2:8-9 declares, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so no man can boast."

Salvation is a free gift from God. It cannot be obtained by good works, baptism, church membership, church attendance, witnessing to others, by knocking on doors, mission trips, or giving financially to a church.

The gospel message is that all people are sinners, and our sin separates us from a loving God, our Creator, who wants to have a relationship with everyone. This can't occur through our good works, bout only through in the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins. and HIS bodily resurrection from the dead.

The book of Hebrews describes Christ death in the following ways: It saves believers completely(Hebrews 7:25), it gives believers eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12), it makes believers holy (Hebrews 10:10), it makes us perfect forever (Hebrews 10:14), and where sins have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 10:18).

The Bible says that "the wages of sins is death" (Romans 6:23) and that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins" (Hebrews 9:22).

As the writer of Hebrews says, "for it IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE Blood of bulls and goats to take away sins" (Hebrews 10:4).

I Peter 2:24 says "HE himself bore our sins in HIS body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By HIS wounds you have been healed." And 1 Peter 3:18a says, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous that he might bring us to God.

John 1:1-3 states in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. HE was in the beginning with God.

Not only did Jesus have to be 100% human, He had to be 100% totally and fully God.

The Bible says, "But God shows HIS love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The Bible says that God is love. Love is many things, and one of these things in action.

Jesus resurrection showed that HE was truly sent from God, because only God has the power over sin and death.

"See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.

Then HE said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe. Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God! (John 20:27-28).

God sent HIS Son
They call HIM Jesus
HE came to love, heal, and forgive
HE lived and died to buy my pardon
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives

Because HE lives I can face tomorrow
And life i worth living just because HE lives

Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done" (Matthew 26:42).

If there was another way, then Christ would not needed to die.

God didn't create people with the intention that any would go to Hell. But God gave them free will, with which they can choose to be with HIM or reject HIM.

Jude 1:7 reads, "Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

Rahah the prostitute was justified in the eyes of the messengers she saved. Before this, she already had faith in the true God; now she was acting out of faith. First, she believed in God, because of that faith she acted.

The Book of James is saying that when one is saved by faith (belief) alone in the life, death, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, he is saved by a faith that will produce good deeds and changes in the person's life.

Christopher Hearn sent me a copy of his book to review. The author has served as a missionary to Russia with (OM) Operation Mobilization and currently is the Pastor of the First Baptist Church of New Sweden, Maine. He has a MDIV from Bethel Theological Seminary San Diego.

4 Weddings & a Funeral .... Saving the best for Last .. 1/24/16

Sunday School Summary . Psalm 77:11 . Tehillim 11 . Acts 2 . John 9 . Matthew 15 . Matthew 5 . Luke 4 . John 2. Miracles . Health . Gift . Wedding in Cana .



Monday - January 18, 2016 - The Mighty Deeds of God - Psalm/Tehillim 77:11-15

The victory which the psalmist had - The psalmist calls to mine all God's great deeds on behalf of his people. To encourage the psalmist he recalls God's mighty work in the past.


Tuesday - January 19, 2016 - The Resurrected Messiah - Acts 2:22-28

Peter's sermon - The sermon evokes immediate response. Definite plan; God raised Jesus up -- Peter's sermon at Pentecost.


Wednesday - January 20, 2016 - The Gift of Sight - John 9:1-11

The man that was born blind restoreth to sight - Jesus spit on the ground and told the man to go wash in the pool of Siloam. Jesus is the light of the world. The blind man is not suffering because of his parents nor his sins. There are times when God allows suffering for a purpose. And he brings good out of it, for the individual himself. The man that was born blind restoreth to sight. Spit was considered to have medicine value. 'sent' a symbol of Jesus 'sent' from God to give light. Healing of the man born blind.


Thursday - January 21, 2016 - The Gift of Health -Matthew 15: 29-38

Jesus healed the daughter of the woman of Canaan, and other great multitudes, and with 7 loaves & a few little fishes feedeth 4,000 men, beside women and children. The Canaanite woman; further healings; 4,000 fed. The woman though a Gentile, speaks to Jesus as the Jewish Messiah. Healings. Canaan territory between the Mediterrean Sea and the Jordan River reaching from the brook of Egypt to the area around in Syria or to the Euphrates. Canaan means different things at different times.


Friday - January 22, 2016 - The Clean Gift - Matthew 5: 22 - 26

Sin begins in the mind & the will. That is where it must be rooted out. Fool should be apostate - meaning that any man who calls another an outcast of God is in danger of being cast out himself. Sacrifice offered by an individual was of no value if he had not put right an offence committed against a fellowman. True understanding of the Law. Jesus taught God's way to Live.


Saturday - January 23, 2016 - The Healing Mission of Jesus - Luke 4: 16-24

The people of Nazareth admire Jesus gracious words. Teaching & Healing in Galilee. Jesus' custom was not merely to worship in the synagogue but to present HIS message there. The book was a scroll, which Jesus unrolled. The popular reaction became increasingly hostile as the magnitude of Jesus' message sank home.

According to the Old Testament, foreigners sometimes knew God's help when Israel did not. Anyone might be invited to take part in the service of prayers, readings and sermon. The leader stood to pray and read from the scrolls, sat down to teach. Jesus Accepted Messianic Mission & Faced Rejection.


Sunday - January 24, 2016 - A Wedding in Cana - John 2: 1-12

Christ turneth water into wine; departed into Capernaum, and to Jerusalem. Jesus' first miracle has a homely setting. The wedding festivites lasted several days, & when the wine ran out the bridegroom must have embarrassed.

First of seven signs selected by John. All have a purpose they actively support the claims Jesus made, & are intended to lead to faith. Here the new wine of the Gospel is contrasted with the water of the old faith. Jesus had come to bring something really new. Cana: Nathanael's home town; a few miles north-east of Nazareth. Woman: a term of solemn & respectful address; The hour of Jesus' self-disclosure was determined by God, not by Mary's desires. His final manifestation was at the cross. Rites of purification were ceremonial, not hygienic. Jesus' miracles were not wonders to astound, but signs pointing to HIS glory (God's presence in HIM).

Jesus Ministry in the "Cana Cycle" - Jesus first sign at the Wedding in Cana.


Matthew 5:12-16 - Devotional Reading 'declaring who are blessed, who are the salt of the earth, the light of the world, the city on an hill, the candle. Where tree happiness lies. The witness of the disciples. Jesus taught God's Way to Live.

A Weed in the Church

A WEED IN THE CHURCH
BY SCOTT T. BROWN

“Because the church has embraced this age-segregated philosophy, we have created groups for everyone, but community for no one; meetings for all, but discipleship for few. Age segregation has replaced the older mentoring the younger. Church programs have displaced family discipleship.”
--Scott T. Brown
“A Weed In The Church”


In the book “A Weed In The Church”, author Scott Brown has struck a nerve, and many churches are screaming in pain. The reason? Youth programs are simply not working. The scary part of the mix: instead of churches seeking the solutions from the Scriptures, many in church leadership are spending time and effort to ‘keep’ the failing programs functioning for financial, employment, or prideful reasons.

Meanwhile, the loss of Christian youth--and their families--continues. Brown believes that the time has come to realize that the age-segregation and ‘splitting up’ of families in the church setting needs to end, and the home needs to take its rightful place in the biblical teaching and training role. His book centers upon what God has already said in the Scriptures about the family as HE set it down, not as how society ‘dictates’ to the church the various and sundry social definitions of what a family should be.

“A Weed In The Church” (2010, 286 pages, The National Center for Family-Integrated Churches Publications) is a controversial work to say the least. It is NOT for the ‘faint’ of heart in church leadership, but for those who have seen the lack of movement in the ‘old’ model of Sunday School as it exists today, and want to see a vibrant, God-blessed change and revival in their churches. Chapters include “Interpreting Scripture”, “The Family-Centered Nature of Youth Discipleship”, and “Results of Neglecting Youth Discipleship”.

To keep on doing the same old thing when the times change about you--and a new thing is called for to meet these challenges--is the height of folly. Brown’s work is not for the timid, but for those churches--and Pastors--who want to see the families in their congregations grow stronger, instead of weaker. It is an excellent addition to one’s library.

Mike Ramey is a Minister, Reviewer and Syndicated Columnist who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. On Line Reviews brings current and lesser-known titles to public light in the quest to re-kindle a love for reading in a sea of modern technology.


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Lift up Christ and lay the sinner low. --C. H. Spurgeon

Choosing the Right Gift ... 12/13/2015 Sunday School Summary

Sunday School Lesson Summary . Hebrews . Leviticus . Deuteronomy . Isaiah . Micah . Romans . I Corinthians .

I beseech you brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service... Romans 12: 1 KJV

Devotional Reading: Hebrews 11:4-16

Background Scripture: Leviticus 22:17-33; 23:9-14, 31-32; Deuteronomy 22:6-7; Isaiah 1:10-20; Micah 6:6-8; Romans 12:1-2; I Corinthians 10:14-22

Print Passage: Leviticus 22:17-25, 31-33


The Pentateuch (Law/Torah) became a separate book, it is the continuing of the priestly tradition extends without interruption of the first ten chapters of Numbers.

The nearness of God not only accentuates the people's sense of sin but prompts them to turn to God in sacrificial service of worship. According to the priestly witness, God has provided the means of atonement and forgiveness whereby the community is restored to wholeness and is reconciled to him.


Monday - 12/7/15 -Living Sacrifice - Psalm/Tehillim 40:1-8

Tuesday - 12/8/15 - Contrite Sacrifice - Psalm/Tehillim 51:15-19

Wednesday - 12/9/15 - Loving Sacrifice - Mark 12:28-34a

Thursday - 12/10/15 - Complete Sacrifice - Romans 12:1-8

Friday - 12/11/15 - Faithful Sacrifice - Hebrews 11:4-16

Saturday - 12/12/15 - Perfect Sacrifice - I John 4:9-16

Sunday - 12/13/15 - Acceptable Offerings - Leviticus 22:17-25, 31-33


Reference used/taken from: KJV, & The New Oxford Annotated Bible with The Apocrypha

A Method For Prayer 1710 Edition: Book Review

Book review . A Method For Prayer With Scripture Expressions Proper To Be Used Under Each Head 1710 Edition . Rev Matthew Henry . Minister of the gospel in Chester . London . 1710 . Steve Kindorf . Prayer . Prayerbook . Adoration . Confession of Sin . Petitions & Requests . Thanksgiving . Intercession . Addresses to God . Funerals . Want of Rain . Occasion of Fire . Forms of Prayers. morning prayer . evening prayer . Steve's Affection . Glossary . Bible Reading Plan . teshuvah


An Awesome Prayer Book. I love it!!!!

I was most impressed when Steve sent me a case of books for me & my family - I placed 4 in our Church & the others outside of my Church.


To The Reader:

For if we have spiritual senses exercised, true devotion, that inspiring flame of pious affections to God, as far as in a judgment of charity we discern it in others (though in different shapes & dresses, which may seem uncouth to one another) cannot but appear beautiful & amiable.

Pythagaras's golden verses begin with the precept; Whatever men made a god of they prayed to, Deliver me, for thou art my god (Isaiah 44:17). It is a piece of respect & homage so exactly consonant to the natural ideas which all men have of God, that it is certain those that live without prayer live without God in the world.

Prayer is the solemn & religious offering up of devout acknowledgments & desires to God, or a sincere representation of holy affections, with a design to give unto God the glory due unto HIS name thereby, & to obtain from HIM promised favours, & both through the mediator. Humble adorations of God, & thanksgiving to HIM, are as necessary in prayer, as any other part of it. The Greek word Proseuche from Euche is a vow directed to God. The Latin word Votum is is used for prayer: Jonah's mariners with their sacrifices made vows; for prayer is to move & oblige ourselves, not to move or oblige God. And long discourse of his there to shew that his ho gosnoticos, i.e., his believer (for faith is called knowledge, & pgf. 719, he makes his companions to be hoi homoioos pepis teucotes, those that have in like manner believed)lives a life of communion with God, & so is praying always; that he have their stated hours of prayer, but he para holon euchatai ton bion, prays all his life long. The Scripture describes prayer to be our drawing near to God, lifting up our souls to HIM, pouring out our hearts before HIM.

Some words there must be, of the mind at least, in which, as in the smoke, this incense must ascend; not that God may understand us, for our thoughts afar off are known to HIM, but that we may the better understand ourselves.

Thus prayer must be sparsim (a sprinkling of it) in every duty, & our eyes must be ever towards the Lord.

Nay if the groanings be such as cannot be uttered, HE that searcheth the heart knows them to be the mind of the Spirit, & will accept of them (Romans 8:26,27).

If we had the tongue of men & angels, & have not the heart of humble serious Christians in prayer, we are but as sounding brass & a tinkling cymbal. It is only the effectual fervent prayer, the Deesis energumene, the in-wrought, in-laid prayer that avails much.

And if any good Christians receive assistance from Rev Matthew Henry's Prayer Book in their devotions, he hoped they would not deny him one request, which is, that they would pray for him, that he may obtain mercy of the Lord to be found among the faithful watchmen on Jerusalem's walls, who never held their peace day or night, but gave themselves to the word & prayer, that at length he may finish have finished his course with joy. .... Matth. Henry, Chester, March 25, 1710


Adoration

Of First Part Of Prayer, Which Is Address To God, Adoration Of HIM, With Suitable Acknowledgments, Professions, & Preparatory Requests.

Let us now attend upon the Lord without distraction, & let not our hearts be far from HIM when we draw nigh to HIM with our mouths, & honour HIM with our lips (I Corinthians 7:35; Matthew 15:8).

Having thus engaged our hearts to approach unto God (Jeremiah 30:21).

We Must Reverently Adore GOD As A Being Transcendently Bright & Blessed, Self-Existent & Self-Sufficient, An Infinite & Eternal Spirit, That Has All Perfections In Himself, And Give HIM Glory Of His titles & Attributes.

Thou art the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness or shadow of turning, & from whom preceedeth every good & perfect gift (James 1:17)

Thou art the blessed & only Potentate; the King of king, & Lord of lords, who only hast immortality; dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen nor can see (I Timothy 6:15,16).

We Must Give To GOD Glory The Praise Of That Splendor & Glory Wherein HE Is Pleased To Manifest HIMSELF In The Upper Room.

We Must Give Honor To The Three Persons In The GodHead Distinctly, To The FATHER, The SON, & The HOLY GHOST, That Great & Sacred Name Into Which We Were Baptized, & In Which We Assemble For Religious Worship, In Communion With The Universal Church.

We Must Acknowledge It An Unspeakable Favour, & An Inestimable Privilege, That We Are Not Only Admitted, But Invited & Encouraged To Draw Nigh To GOD In Prayer.

We Must Express The Sense The Sense We Have Of Our Own Meanness & Unworthiness To Draw Near To GOD, & Speak To HIM.

We Must Likewise Profess Our Believing HOPE & Confidence In GOD, & HIS ALL_Sufficiency, In HIS POWER, PROVIDENCE, & PROMISE.

We Must Intreat GOD'S Favourable Acceptable Of Us & Our Poor Performance.

We Must Beg For POWERFUL Assistance & Influence Of The Blessed Spirit Of Grace In Our Prayers.

O pour upon us the spirit of grace & supplication; the Spirit of adoption teaching us to cry, Abba Father; that we may find in our hearts to pray this prayer (Zechariah 12:10; Romans 8:13; II Samuel 7:27).

WE MUST MAKE THE GLORY OF GOD OUR HIGHEST END IN ALL OUR PRAYERS.

WE MUST PROFESS OUR ENTIRE RELIANCE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST ALONE FOR ACCEPTANCE WITH GOD, & COME IN HIS NAME.


Confession of Sin

ON THE SECOND PART OF PRAYER, WHICH IS, CONFESSION OF SIN, COMPLAINTS OF OURSELVES, & HUMBLE PROFESSIONALS OF REPENTANCE.

Having given glory to GOD, which is HIS due, we must next take shame to ourselves, which is our due, & humble ourselves before HIM in the sense of our own sinfulness & vileness; & herein also we must give glory to HIM, as our judge, by whom we deserved to be condemned, & yet hope, through Christ, to be acquitted & be absolved (Joshua 7:19).

In this part of our work,

We must acknowledge the great reason the great reason we have to lie very low before GOD, & to be ashamed of ourselves when we come into HIS presence, & to be afraid of HIS wrath, having made ourselves both odious to HIS holiness, & obnoxious to HIS justice.

WE MUST TAKE HOLD OF THE GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT GOD HATH GIVEN US TO HUMBLE OURSELVES BEFORE HIM WITH SORROW & SHAME, 7 TO CONFESS OUR SINS.

HLOM - Harvest Life Outreach Ministry Project Leader- CEO

HLOM - Harvest Life Outreach Ministry in Brownsville, Tennessee is set up to bring healing to a hurting community where people of all races - nationalities, religions that are suffering due to the lack of funding - employment. Brenda Blue-Recio (brendablue1958@gmail.com) is the CEO/Project Leader (brendablue1958@gmail.com). ............... Brenda Blue-Recio passed away on Thanksgiving Morning.

This is a medical program that uses a team approach to provide quality occupational wellness and health, safety and rehabilitation services that addresses a person's total health - body - mind - spiritual needs while developing and nurturing partnerships with other medical programs such as child development, Teen Mentoring, Senior Citizen care provider services and to make sure no one is left behind.

The Ministry's goal is to continue and expand on the development and implementation of a medical program that has already been in operation for several years by (HLOM). The market research shows that last year a high ratio of children, teens, working adults and Senior Citizens were ill or injured in the workplace and instead of compensating them, businesses either laid them off or forced them to the side.


HLOM goals will be reached through the following objectives:

To help establish Centroplex Health Systems as the "One Stop Shopping" Medical Center for Healthcare in its service area.

Provide a full continuum of services that will help the medical services provide responsive, quality medical care to all ill and injured personnel.

The developmental and implementation of a successful marketing strategy/plan to make sure no one is turned down.

Recruitment of experienced medical and administrative staff.

Enter the Occupational Medical market system and build a brand name for the Kingdom of God.

Commitment to continuously improve the quality of medical service to a hurting community.


Harvest Life Outreach Ministry is a wellness and health program involving all age groups from newborn to Senior This wellness program is designed to assist the community in Brownsville, Tennessee especially in rural areas.

HLOM's heart is to make the program the center of helping people recover from all kinds of health issues, regardless of age, race, or religions background. This community is desperately hurting from lack of medical attention, and many have been turned down due to lack of financial due to job lay-offs, underemployment, or suffer from illnesses insurance companies will not cover.

HLOM will make the communities the premier Occupational Centroplex of Healing and wellness that their Medical Program can provide. Therefore, lives could be enhanced by helping community citizens become more productive and sustain longer life spans.

HLOM wants to reduce health care costs, purchase a building, remodel. Medical clinic that will provide the following components: accessibility, drug screening services, high quality staff, state-of-the-art care, and a wide scope of services.

Through its mission of promoting total health - body - mind - spirit while developing and nurturing partnerships with other medical services that are already up and running within surrounding counties.

Brenda Blue-Recio (brendablue1958@gmail.com) was educated at Miami Dade Community College North Campus. She completed her studies to become a Medical Assistant and continued her education in Clinical Laboratory Technology. She graduated with honors at Charron William College located in South Miami, Florida.

After completing her education, she worked with several hospitals in South Florida: South Miami Hospital, Parkway Hospital of North Miami Beach, National Laboratory in Hollywood Florida, South Shore Hospital as a Phlebotomist and Specimen Processor, Data Entry,and Cytology Smear Slide Preparation. She continued her training pathology homicide division as a volunteer mentor for troubled teens. She later became a Public Speaker on STD's to young adults and teens, at which time she was offered a position as a Medical Assistant Laboratory Instructor for Southern Technical Institute, United Business Institute, Concorde Career Institute and National School of Technology. Her specialty was Hematology, Urinalysis, STD's Coding, Medical Terminology Anatomy and Physiology She was given the opportunity work as a State Test Proctor for the American Society of Phlebotomy Technician Hickory North Carolina under the Leadership of Helen & Ralph Maxwell.

She is also an Inventor with two (2) complete patent designs in the USA.