▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬

The Earliest Known Surviving Depiction of Jesus Christ
as ‘Pantocrator‘ (literally “Ruler of All“)

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(From Saint Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai.)

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Executive Summary

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

“There are More sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any Profane History”
                                                                      –  Sir Isaac Newton
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

          We the People, Ask that you to Leave the City and Camp in the Open Fields for a Rendezvous with History.  Shuttle Diplomacy to Change the Game. A Skillful Maneuver to Rescue Ourselves From the Present Evil Age.  In an Effort to Change the World for the Better, We Bring this Presentation Offering as an Interpretation of the Times.  A Time that is Not of Peace but Division.  Regarding The International Political, Military and Economic Situation.  A Time of Political, Social, and Environmental Upheaval.  We Bestow Unto You This Gift of Education, for the Healing and Restoration of the Conscience.  For Peace of Mind.  A Renewed State of Mental Resolution which Corresponds with the Fulfillment of Scriptures by Way of Theophoric Name.

We Provide this Vision and Concept of the Future to Restore Ourselves to Health such that we have the courage to Turn from Evil and Do Good.

          We “The People” Ask you “The Powers That Be” for a Leap of Faith.  Let Us Have Some Benefit From You?  Take One Step Closer to the People for “The Culmination of the Ages.”  A Divine Intervention.  A Requiem and Crucible as it is Written In Accordance with the Holy Author of Our Religion.  A “Universal Interface Override System” and an Irrevocable Living Trust Agreement.  A Fresh Perspective and New Approach of Secessio plebis  (“withdrawal of the commoners“).  “Manifest Destiny 2.0” for Better Days.

          We Advocate to Bring Together Governments, Banks, Private Companies, Academia, Civil Society & Prominent Men of The Cities.  for a Summit of the Future.  Specifically, We Appeal to Military Commanders, Those Holders of Power and Responsibility.  In Order To Avoid a Pyrrhic Victory,  We Request an Audience with High-Ranking Military Officers and their Counterparts With Capability.   To Finally Address Once and For All the Regime of the Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction.  During this Period of Mutually Assured Destruction.  We appeal to you that there are Special Cases and Special Situations and special Circumstances during the course of human history which are not Conducive to a Military Solution.  As such, We Request a Gathering of People to Meet at a Specified Time and Place.  If You Indulge Us, We Would Like to Change the World.

         With Your Permission,  We “the People” Request a Meeting of the High Ranking Military Officers and Chiefs of Staff of the Nations.  Ministers of Foreign Affairs.  Chiefs of Municipal Offices.  We ask you Please Prepare your Plans and Maps for Big Work Projects for the future.  For the Organization of the Lives of Citizens.  Where Important Political, Diplomatic and Military Moves are to Take Shape.  Regarding the Main Drama of Recognizing and Authorizing a Selected Power to Administer and Develop a Territory for a Specified Purpose. The Renunciation and the Rendering Over an Estate, Land Grant, Conveyance or Interest in a Property or Trust Which Serves the Interest of One or More Political Orientations.  The Allocation of Benefits in Various Policy Fields in Such a Way as to Provide.  Groups, Persons, and Places with at Least a Minimum Level of Benefits so as to Satisfy Basic Needs.  The Governance of Composite Material Plentitudes.  Whole Cities Delivered.  The Specific Ways and Means of Creating Fundamentally Self-Sufficient Cities.  International Resource Management and Addressing the Current Lack of Surplus. Equalities of Commercial Privileges.  The Admission of Neutrals into Ports of Entry.  Lines of Demarcation. The Notion of Each Thing in its Proper Sphere and Serving its Proper Purpose.  To Hone, Refine or Perfect “Chains of Events” Over a Period of Time.  Seeking to be Exact, Precise; and Marked or Characterized by Precision.  Harmonically Pure.  Having Correct Dimensions Without Interval, Deviation, or Variation.  “Exactly that, in that Very Way.“

A Season of Discovery Between Civilian/Military Affairs. 

            Regarding The Culture of Leadership and the Behavior and Conduct of Interactions of Leaders with Foreign Nations.   In Case of the Breach of Friendly Relations.  Where Currently, Leaders Who Demand from Others, Sacrifices Which they Would Never Be Called Upon to Make Themselves.  In Order to Drive Out an Unclean Spirit, Sometimes the Old Ways are Best.  Fighting the Good Fight.  To Test and Prove Matters of the Heart.  A Call to Maturity.  A Call of Endurance. A Test of Sincerity.  To Know the “Why” of Things.  For Moments of Shared Understandings. Enforcement Mechanisms to Refine the Character, Disposition and the Identity of Our Appointed World Leaders. To Keep Ourselves “On Our Mettle.”  To Expose Fruitless Deeds of Darkness. “To deal with as is right or fitting.”  Such as to That To be More Equitable, Fair and Impartial in One’s Dealings.  “They Were All Together in One Place.“

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Hebrews 10
a biblical Jew, Israelite”  “one from the other side of the river” 
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.  Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.  But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins.  It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,

but a body you prepared for me;

with burnt offerings and sin offerings

you were not pleased.

Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—

I have come to do your will, my God.’ ”

First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law.  Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second.  And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.  But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.  For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:

“This is the covenant I will make with them

after that time, says the Lord.

I will put my laws in their hearts,

and I will write them on their minds.” 

Then he adds:

“Their sins and lawless acts

I will remember no more.” 

And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.

A Call to Persevere in Faith

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,  by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,  and since we have a great priest over the house of God,  let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,  not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,  but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.  Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.  How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?  For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”  and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”   It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering.  Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.  You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.  So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.  For,

“In just a little while,

he who is coming will come

and will not delay.”

And,

“But my righteous one will live by faith.

And I take no pleasure

in the one who shrinks back.”

But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Galatians 5
““of Gaul“
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(Berean Standard Bible)

Freedom in Christ

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.  Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.  You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.  For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?  That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.  “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”  I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty.   Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.   As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

Life by the Spirit

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh ; rather, serve one another humbly in love.  For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.  I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Colossians 2
“gigantic statue”  “any thing of awesome greatness or vastness“
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)


I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.  My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.  For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.

Spiritual Fullness in Christ

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.  In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ,  having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Freedom From Human Rules

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.  These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.  Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind.  They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules:   “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”?  These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings.  Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Psalm 37
“sacred poem or song“
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(Berean Standard Bible)

Delight Yourself in the LORD

                                                       Of David.

Do not fret over those who do evil;

do not envy those who do wrong.

For they wither quickly like grass

and wilt like tender plants.

Trust in the LORD and do good;

dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the LORD,

and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD;

trust in Him, and He will do it.

He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn,

your justice like the noonday sun.

Be still before the LORD

and wait patiently for Him;

do not fret when men prosper in their ways,

when they carry out wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and abandon wrath;

do not fret—it can only bring harm.

For the evildoers will be cut off,

but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;

though you look for them, they will not be found.

But the meek will inherit the land

and delight in abundant prosperity.

The wicked scheme against the righteous

and gnash their teeth at them,

but the Lord laughs,

seeing that their day is coming.

The wicked have drawn the sword

and bent the bow

to bring down the poor and needy,

to slay those whose ways are upright.

But their swords will pierce their own hearts,

and their bows will be broken.

Better is the little of the righteous

than the abundance of many who are wicked.

For the arms of the wicked will be broken,

but the LORD upholds the righteous.

The LORD knows the days of the blameless,

and their inheritance will last forever.

In the time of evil they will not be ashamed,

and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.

But the wicked and enemies of the LORD

will perish like the glory of the fields.

They will vanish;

like smoke they will fade away.

The wicked borrow and do not repay,

but the righteous are gracious and giving.

Surely those He blesses will inherit the land,

but the cursed will be destroyed.

The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD

who takes delight in his journey.

Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed,

for the LORD is holding his hand.

I once was young and now am old,

yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned

or their children begging for bread.

They are ever generous and quick to lend,

and their children are a blessing.

Turn away from evil and do good,

so that you will abide forever.

For the LORD loves justice

and will not forsake His saints.

They are preserved forever,

but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off.

The righteous will inherit the land

and dwell in it forever.

The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,

and his tongue speaks justice.

The law of his God is in his heart;

his steps do not falter.

Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous,

and seek to slay them,

the LORD will not leave them in their power

or let them be condemned under judgment.

Wait for the LORD and keep His way,

and He will raise you up to inherit the land.

When the wicked are cut off,

you will see it.

I have seen a wicked, ruthless man

flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,

yet he passed away and was no more;

though I searched, he could not be found.

Consider the blameless and observe the upright,

for posterity awaits the man of peace.

But the transgressors will all be destroyed;

the future of the wicked will be cut off.

The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;

He is their stronghold in time of trouble.

The LORD helps and delivers them;

He rescues and saves them from the wicked,

because they take refuge in Him.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Isaiah 58
“salvation of the Lord”  “deliverance“
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(Berean Standard Bible)

True Fasts and Sabbaths

“Cry aloud, do not hold back!

Raise your voice like a ram’s horn.

Declare to My people their transgression

and to the house of Jacob their sins.

For day after day they seek Me

and delight to know My ways,

like a nation that does what is right

and does not forsake the justice of their God.

They ask Me for righteous judgments;

they delight in the nearness of God.”

“Why have we fasted,

and You have not seen?

Why have we humbled ourselves,

and You have not noticed?”

“Behold, on the day of your fast, you do as you please,

and you oppress all your workers.

You fast with contention and strife

to strike viciously with your fist.

You cannot fast as you do today

and have your voice be heard on high.

Is this the fast I have chosen:

a day for a man to deny himself,

to bow his head like a reed,

and to spread out sackcloth and ashes?

Will you call this a fast

and a day acceptable to the LORD?

Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen:

to break the chains of wickedness,

to untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free

and tear off every yoke?

Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry,

to bring the poor and homeless into your home,

to clothe the naked when you see him,

and not to turn away

from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

and your healing will come quickly.

Your righteousness will go before you,

and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;

you will cry out, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’

If you remove the yoke from your midst,

the pointing of the finger and malicious talk,

and if you give yourself to the hungry

and satisfy the afflicted soul,

then your light will go forth in the darkness,

and your night will be like noonday.

The LORD will always guide you;

He will satisfy you in a sun-scorched land

and strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail.

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins;

you will restore the age-old foundations;

you will be called Repairer of the Breach,

Restorer of the Streets of Dwelling.

If you turn your foot from breaking the Sabbath,

from doing as you please on My holy day,

if you call the Sabbath a delight,

and the LORD’s holy day honorable,

if you honor it by not going your own way

or seeking your own pleasure or speaking idle words,

then you will delight yourself in the LORD,

and I will make you ride on the heights of the land

and feed you with the heritage of your father Jacob.”

For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Luke 9
“(“tepid” “warm” “bringer of light“)
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt.  Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”  So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.

Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead,  others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life.  But Herod said, “I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” And he tried to see him.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida,   but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.

Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”

He replied, “You give them something to eat.”

They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.”  (About five thousand men were there.)

But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”   The disciples did so, and everyone sat down.  Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people.  They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah

Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”

Jesus Predicts His Death

Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.  What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?  Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

“Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”

The Transfiguration

About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.   As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.  Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus.  They spoke about his departure,  which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.  Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)

While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.   A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”   When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy

The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him.  A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child.  A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him.  I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”

“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”

Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father.  And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.

Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time

While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, “Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.”  But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest.  Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him.  Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”

“Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”

“Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”

Samaritan Opposition

As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.  And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him;  but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem.  When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?”  But Jesus turned and rebuked them.   Then he and his disciples went to another village.

The Cost of Following Jesus

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

He said to another man, “Follow me.”

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:  “Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You,  who will prepare Your way.”  “A voice of one calling in the wilderness,  ‘Prepare the way for the Lord,  make straight paths for Him.’
                                                                    –   Mark 1   (BSB)

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

 

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

James 4
“one that takes by the heel; a supplanter“
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

Submit Yourselves to God

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?  You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

You adulterous people,  don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.  Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us ?   But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud

but shows favor to the humble.”

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.  There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

Boasting About Tomorrow

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”  As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.  If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Deuteronomy 30
“second law” “assign, allot; take”  “a copy of this law”
“repeated law”    “copy”   “repetition”
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

Returning to the Lord

“When all these things happen to you — the blessings and curses I have set before you — and you come to your senses while you are in all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you,  and you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and all your soul by doing everything I am commanding you today,  then he will restore your fortunes,  have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you.  Even if your exiles are at the farthest horizon, he will gather you and bring you back from there.  The Lord your God will bring you into the land your ancestors possessed, and you will take possession of it.  He will cause you to prosper and multiply you more than he did your ancestors.  The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love him with all your heart and all your soul so that you will live.  The Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you.  Then you will again obey him and follow all his commands I am commanding you today. The Lord your God will make you prosper abundantly in all the work of your hands,  your offspring, the offspring of your livestock, and the produce of your land. Indeed, the Lord will again delight in your prosperity, as he delighted in that of your ancestors,  when you obey the Lord your God by keeping his commands and statutes that are written in this book of the law and return to him with all your heart and all your soul.

Choose Life

“This command that I give you today is certainly not too difficult or beyond your reach.  It is not in heaven so that you have to ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it? ’ And it is not across the sea so that you have to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it? ’ But the message is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may follow it.  See, today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and adversity.   For I am commanding you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live and multiply, and the Lord your God may bless you in the land you are entering to possess.  But if your heart turns away and you do not listen and you are led astray to bow in worship to other gods and serve them,   I tell you today that you will certainly perish and will not prolong your days in the land you are entering to possess across the Jordan.   I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live,  love the Lord your God, obey him, and remain faithful to him. For he is your life, and he will prolong your days as you live in the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Micah 4
“who is like the Lord“
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

The Mountain of the Lord

In the last days

the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established

as the highest of the mountains;

it will be exalted above the hills,

and peoples will stream to it.

Many nations will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

to the temple of the God of Jacob.

He will teach us his ways,

so that we may walk in his paths.”

The law will go out from Zion,

the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

He will judge between many peoples

and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.

They will beat their swords into plowshares

and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation,

nor will they train for war anymore.

Everyone will sit under their own vine

and under their own fig tree,

and no one will make them afraid,

for the Lord Almighty has spoken.

All the nations may walk

in the name of their gods,

but we will walk in the name of the Lord

our God for ever and ever.

The Lord’s Plan

“In that day,” declares the Lord,

“I will gather the lame;

I will assemble the exiles

and those I have brought to grief.

I will make the lame my remnant,

those driven away a strong nation.

The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion

from that day and forever.

As for you, watchtower of the flock,

stronghold of Daughter Zion,

the former dominion will be restored to you;

kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.”

Why do you now cry aloud—

have you no king ?

Has your ruler perished,

that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?

Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion,

like a woman in labor,

for now you must leave the city

to camp in the open field.

You will go to Babylon;

there you will be rescued.

There the Lord will redeem you

out of the hand of your enemies.

But now many nations

are gathered against you.

They say, “Let her be defiled,

let our eyes gloat over Zion!”

But they do not know

the thoughts of the Lord;

they do not understand his plan,

that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.

“Rise and thresh, Daughter Zion,

for I will give you horns of iron;

I will give you hooves of bronze,

and you will break to pieces many nations.”

You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord,

their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Joel 3
“the Lord is God“
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

The Nations Judged

“In those days and at that time,

when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,

I will gather all nations

and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. 

There I will put them on trial

for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel,

because they scattered my people among the nations

and divided up my land.

They cast lots for my people

and traded boys for prostitutes;

they sold girls for wine to drink.

“Now what have you against me, Tyre and Sidon and all you regions of Philistia? Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done.  For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples.  You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, that you might send them far from their homeland.

“See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them, and I will return on your own heads what you have done.  I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, a nation far away.” The Lord has spoken.

Proclaim this among the nations:

Prepare for war!

Rouse the warriors!

Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.

Beat your plowshares into swords

and your pruning hooks into spears.

Let the weakling say,

“I am strong!”

Come quickly, all you nations from every side,

and assemble there.

Bring down your warriors, Lord!

“Let the nations be roused;

let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,

for there I will sit

to judge all the nations on every side.

Swing the sickle,

for the harvest is ripe.

Come, trample the grapes,

for the winepress is full

and the vats overflow—

so great is their wickedness!”

Multitudes, multitudes

in the valley of decision!

For the day of the Lord is near

in the valley of decision.

The sun and moon will be darkened,

and the stars no longer shine.

The Lord will roar from Zion

and thunder from Jerusalem;

the earth and the heavens will tremble.

But the Lord will be a refuge for his people,

a stronghold for the people of Israel.

Blessings for God’s People

“Then you will know that I, the Lord your God,

dwell in Zion, my holy hill.

Jerusalem will be holy;

never again will foreigners invade her.

“In that day the mountains will drip new wine,

and the hills will flow with milk;

all the ravines of Judah will run with water.

A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house

and will water the valley of acacias. 

But Egypt will be desolate,

Edom a desert waste,

because of violence done to the people of Judah,

in whose land they shed innocent blood.

Judah will be inhabited forever

and Jerusalem through all generations.

Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged?

No, I will not.”

The Lord dwells in Zion!

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

 Job 12
( “piece of work; something to be done,” 
“occurrence, business, state of things“  “Patient  Endurance” ) 
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(Berean Standard Bible)

Job Presents His Case

Then Job answered:

“Truly then you are the people

with whom wisdom itself will die!

But I also have a mind;

I am not inferior to you.

Who does not know such things as these?

I am a laughingstock to my friends,

though I called on God, and He answered.

The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock.

The one at ease scorns misfortune

as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.

The tents of robbers are safe,

and those who provoke God are secure—

those who carry their god in their hands.

But ask the animals, and they will instruct you;

ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.

Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you;

let the fish of the sea inform you.

Which of all these does not know

that the hand of the LORD has done this?

The life of every living thing is in His hand,

as well as the breath of all mankind.

Does not the ear test words

as the tongue tastes its food?

Wisdom is found with the elderly,

and understanding comes with long life.

Wisdom and strength belong to God;

counsel and understanding are His.

What He tears down cannot be rebuilt;

the man He imprisons cannot be released.

If He holds back the waters, they dry up,

and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.

True wisdom and power belong to Him.

The deceived and the deceiver are His.

He leads counselors away barefoot

and makes fools of judges.

He loosens the bonds placed by kings

and fastens a belt around their waists.

He leads priests away barefoot

and overthrows the established.

He deprives the trusted of speech

and takes away the discernment of elders.

He pours out contempt on nobles

and disarms the mighty.

He reveals the deep things of darkness

and brings deep shadows into light.

He makes nations great and destroys them;

He enlarges nations, then disperses them.

He deprives the earth’s leaders of reason

and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.

They grope in the darkness without light;

He makes them stagger like drunkards.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Isaiah 55
“salvation of the Lord”  “salvation, deliverance”
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

Invitation to the Thirsty

1“Come, all you who are thirsty,

come to the waters;

and you who have no money,

come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without cost.

2Why spend money on what is not bread,

and your labor on what does not satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,

and you will delight in the richest of fare.

3Give ear and come to me;

listen, that you may live.

I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

my faithful love promised to David.

4See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,

a ruler and commander of the peoples.

5Surely you will summon nations you know not,

and nations you do not know will come running to you,

because of the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel,

for he has endowed you with splendor.”

6Seek the Lord while he may be found;

call on him while he is near.

7Let the wicked forsake their ways

and the unrighteous their thoughts.

Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,

and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

8“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the Lord.

9“As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10As the rain and the snow

come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

11so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

12You will go out in joy

and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and hills

will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field

will clap their hands.

13Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,

and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

This will be for the Lord’s renown,

for an everlasting sign,

that will endure forever.”

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Ecclesiastes 4
“one who addresses an assembly“
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness

1Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun:

I saw the tears of the oppressed—

and they have no comforter;

power was on the side of their oppressors—

and they have no comforter.

2And I declared that the dead,

who had already died,

are happier than the living,

who are still alive.

3But better than both

is the one who has never been born,

who has not seen the evil

that is done under the sun.

4And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

5Fools fold their hands

and ruin themselves.

6Better one handful with tranquillity

than two handfuls with toil

and chasing after the wind.

7Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:

8There was a man all alone;

he had neither son nor brother.

There was no end to his toil,

yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.

“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,

“and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”

This too is meaningless—

a miserable business!

9Two are better than one,

because they have a good return for their labor:

10If either of them falls down,

one can help the other up.

But pity anyone who falls

and has no one to help them up.

11Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.

But how can one keep warm alone?

12Though one may be overpowered,

two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Advancement Is Meaningless

13Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. 14The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. 15I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. 16There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Matthew 7
“gift of Jehova“
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

Judging Others

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Ask, Seek, Knock

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!  So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

The Narrow and Wide Gates

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

True and False Prophets

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

True and False Disciples

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

The Wise and Foolish Builders

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,  because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Psalm 119
“sacred poem or song“
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

א Aleph

Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,

who walk according to the law of the Lord.

Blessed are those who keep his statutes

and seek him with all their heart—

they do no wrong

but follow his ways.

You have laid down precepts

that are to be fully obeyed.

Oh, that my ways were steadfast

in obeying your decrees!

Then I would not be put to shame

when I consider all your commands.

I will praise you with an upright heart

as I learn your righteous laws.

I will obey your decrees;

do not utterly forsake me.

ב Beth

How can a young person stay on the path of purity?

By living according to your word.

I seek you with all my heart;

do not let me stray from your commands.

I have hidden your word in my heart

that I might not sin against you.

Praise be to you, Lord;

teach me your decrees.

With my lips I recount

all the laws that come from your mouth.

I rejoice in following your statutes

as one rejoices in great riches.

I meditate on your precepts

and consider your ways.

I delight in your decrees;

I will not neglect your word.

ג Gimel

Be good to your servant while I live,

that I may obey your word.

Open my eyes that I may see

wonderful things in your law.

I am a stranger on earth;

do not hide your commands from me.

My soul is consumed with longing

for your laws at all times.

You rebuke the arrogant, who are accursed,

those who stray from your commands.

Remove from me their scorn and contempt,

for I keep your statutes.

Though rulers sit together and slander me,

your servant will meditate on your decrees.

Your statutes are my delight;

they are my counselors.

ד Daleth

I am laid low in the dust;

preserve my life according to your word.

I gave an account of my ways and you answered me;

teach me your decrees.

Cause me to understand the way of your precepts,

that I may meditate on your wonderful deeds.

My soul is weary with sorrow;

strengthen me according to your word.

Keep me from deceitful ways;

be gracious to me and teach me your law.

I have chosen the way of faithfulness;

I have set my heart on your laws.

I hold fast to your statutes, Lord;

do not let me be put to shame.

I run in the path of your commands,

for you have broadened my understanding.

ה He

Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,

that I may follow it to the end.

Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law

and obey it with all my heart.

Direct me in the path of your commands,

for there I find delight.

Turn my heart toward your statutes

and not toward selfish gain.

Turn my eyes away from worthless things;

preserve my life according to your word. 

Fulfill your promise to your servant,

so that you may be feared.

Take away the disgrace I dread,

for your laws are good.

How I long for your precepts!

In your righteousness preserve my life.

ו Waw

May your unfailing love come to me, Lord,

your salvation, according to your promise;

then I can answer anyone who taunts me,

for I trust in your word.

Never take your word of truth from my mouth,

for I have put my hope in your laws.

I will always obey your law,

for ever and ever.

I will walk about in freedom,

for I have sought out your precepts.

I will speak of your statutes before kings

and will not be put to shame,

for I delight in your commands

because I love them.

I reach out for your commands, which I love,

that I may meditate on your decrees.

ז Zayin

Remember your word to your servant,

for you have given me hope.

My comfort in my suffering is this:

Your promise preserves my life.

The arrogant mock me unmercifully,

but I do not turn from your law.

I remember, Lord, your ancient laws,

and I find comfort in them.

Indignation grips me because of the wicked,

who have forsaken your law.

Your decrees are the theme of my song

wherever I lodge.

In the night, Lord, I remember your name,

that I may keep your law.

This has been my practice:

I obey your precepts.

ח Heth

You are my portion, Lord;

I have promised to obey your words.

I have sought your face with all my heart;

be gracious to me according to your promise.

I have considered my ways

and have turned my steps to your statutes.

I will hasten and not delay

to obey your commands.

Though the wicked bind me with ropes,

I will not forget your law.

At midnight I rise to give you thanks

for your righteous laws.

I am a friend to all who fear you,

to all who follow your precepts.

The earth is filled with your love, Lord;

teach me your decrees.

ט Teth

Do good to your servant

according to your word, Lord.

Teach me knowledge and good judgment,

for I trust your commands.

Before I was afflicted I went astray,

but now I obey your word.

You are good, and what you do is good;

teach me your decrees.

Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies,

I keep your precepts with all my heart.

Their hearts are callous and unfeeling,

but I delight in your law.

It was good for me to be afflicted

so that I might learn your decrees.

The law from your mouth is more precious to me

than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Psalm 119  (cont.)
“one who addresses an assembly“
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

י Yodh

73Your hands made me and formed me;

give me understanding to learn your commands.

74May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,

for I have put my hope in your word.

75I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous,

and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

76May your unfailing love be my comfort,

according to your promise to your servant.

77Let your compassion come to me that I may live,

for your law is my delight.

78May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause;

but I will meditate on your precepts.

79May those who fear you turn to me,

those who understand your statutes.

80May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees,

that I may not be put to shame.

כ Kaph

81My soul faints with longing for your salvation,

but I have put my hope in your word.

82My eyes fail, looking for your promise;

I say, “When will you comfort me?”

83Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke,

I do not forget your decrees.

84How long must your servant wait?

When will you punish my persecutors?

85The arrogant dig pits to trap me,

contrary to your law.

86All your commands are trustworthy;

help me, for I am being persecuted without cause.

87They almost wiped me from the earth,

but I have not forsaken your precepts.

88In your unfailing love preserve my life,

that I may obey the statutes of your mouth.

ל Lamedh

89Your word, Lord, is eternal;

it stands firm in the heavens.

90Your faithfulness continues through all generations;

you established the earth, and it endures.

91Your laws endure to this day,

for all things serve you.

92If your law had not been my delight,

I would have perished in my affliction.

93I will never forget your precepts,

for by them you have preserved my life.

94Save me, for I am yours;

I have sought out your precepts.

95The wicked are waiting to destroy me,

but I will ponder your statutes.

96To all perfection I see a limit,

but your commands are boundless.

מ Mem

97Oh, how I love your law!

I meditate on it all day long.

98Your commands are always with me

and make me wiser than my enemies.

99I have more insight than all my teachers,

for I meditate on your statutes.

100I have more understanding than the elders,

for I obey your precepts.

101I have kept my feet from every evil path

so that I might obey your word.

102I have not departed from your laws,

for you yourself have taught me.

103How sweet are your words to my taste,

sweeter than honey to my mouth!

104I gain understanding from your precepts;

therefore I hate every wrong path.

נ Nun

105Your word is a lamp for my feet,

a light on my path.

106I have taken an oath and confirmed it,

that I will follow your righteous laws.

107I have suffered much;

preserve my life, Lord, according to your word.

108Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth,

and teach me your laws.

109Though I constantly take my life in my hands,

I will not forget your law.

110The wicked have set a snare for me,

but I have not strayed from your precepts.

111Your statutes are my heritage forever;

they are the joy of my heart.

112My heart is set on keeping your decrees

to the very end. d

ס Samekh

113I hate double-minded people,

but I love your law.

114You are my refuge and my shield;

I have put my hope in your word.

115Away from me, you evildoers,

that I may keep the commands of my God!

116Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live;

do not let my hopes be dashed.

117Uphold me, and I will be delivered;

I will always have regard for your decrees.

118You reject all who stray from your decrees,

for their delusions come to nothing.

119All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross;

therefore I love your statutes.

120My flesh trembles in fear of you;

I stand in awe of your laws.

ע Ayin

121I have done what is righteous and just;

do not leave me to my oppressors.

122Ensure your servant’s well-being;

do not let the arrogant oppress me.

123My eyes fail, looking for your salvation,

looking for your righteous promise.

124Deal with your servant according to your love

and teach me your decrees.

125I am your servant; give me discernment

that I may understand your statutes.

126It is time for you to act, Lord;

your law is being broken.

127Because I love your commands

more than gold, more than pure gold,

128and because I consider all your precepts right,

I hate every wrong path.

פ Pe

129Your statutes are wonderful;

therefore I obey them.

130The unfolding of your words gives light;

it gives understanding to the simple.

131I open my mouth and pant,

longing for your commands.

132Turn to me and have mercy on me,

as you always do to those who love your name.

133Direct my footsteps according to your word;

let no sin rule over me.

134Redeem me from human oppression,

that I may obey your precepts.

135Make your face shine on your servant

and teach me your decrees.

136Streams of tears flow from my eyes,

for your law is not obeyed.

צ Tsadhe

137You are righteous, Lord,

and your laws are right.

138The statutes you have laid down are righteous;

they are fully trustworthy.

139My zeal wears me out,

for my enemies ignore your words.

140Your promises have been thoroughly tested,

and your servant loves them.

141Though I am lowly and despised,

I do not forget your precepts.

142Your righteousness is everlasting

and your law is true.

143Trouble and distress have come upon me,

but your commands give me delight.

144Your statutes are always righteous;

give me understanding that I may live.

ק Qoph

145I call with all my heart; answer me, Lord,

and I will obey your decrees.

146I call out to you; save me

and I will keep your statutes.

147I rise before dawn and cry for help;

I have put my hope in your word.

148My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,

that I may meditate on your promises.

149Hear my voice in accordance with your love;

preserve my life, Lord, according to your laws.

150Those who devise wicked schemes are near,

but they are far from your law.

151Yet you are near, Lord,

and all your commands are true.

152Long ago I learned from your statutes

that you established them to last forever.

ר Resh

153Look on my suffering and deliver me,

for I have not forgotten your law.

154Defend my cause and redeem me;

preserve my life according to your promise.

155Salvation is far from the wicked,

for they do not seek out your decrees.

156Your compassion, Lord, is great;

preserve my life according to your laws.

157Many are the foes who persecute me,

but I have not turned from your statutes.

158I look on the faithless with loathing,

for they do not obey your word.

159See how I love your precepts;

preserve my life, Lord, in accordance with your love.

160All your words are true;

all your righteous laws are eternal.

ש Sin and Shin

161Rulers persecute me without cause,

but my heart trembles at your word.

162I rejoice in your promise

like one who finds great spoil.

163I hate and detest falsehood

but I love your law.

164Seven times a day I praise you

for your righteous laws.

165Great peace have those who love your law,

and nothing can make them stumble.

166I wait for your salvation, Lord,

and I follow your commands.

167I obey your statutes,

for I love them greatly.

168I obey your precepts and your statutes,

for all my ways are known to you.

ת Taw

169May my cry come before you, Lord;

give me understanding according to your word.

170May my supplication come before you;

deliver me according to your promise.

171May my lips overflow with praise,

for you teach me your decrees.

172May my tongue sing of your word,

for all your commands are righteous.

173May your hand be ready to help me,

for I have chosen your precepts.

174I long for your salvation, Lord,

and your law gives me delight.

175Let me live that I may praise you,

and may your laws sustain me.

176I have strayed like a lost sheep.

Seek your servant,

for I have not forgotten your commands.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Psalm 46
“sacred poem or song“
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(Berean Standard Bible)

God Is Our Refuge and Strength
(2 Kings 18:13–16; 2 Chronicles 32:1–8)

For the choirmaster. Of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.a A song.

1God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in times of trouble.

2Therefore we will not fear,

though the earth is transformed

and the mountains are toppled

into the depths of the seas,

3though their waters roar and foam

and the mountains quake in the surge.

Selah

4There is a river whose streams delight the city of God,

the holy place where the Most High dwells.

5God is within her; she will not be moved.

God will help her when morning dawns.

6Nations rage, kingdoms crumble;

the earth melts when He lifts His voice.

7The LORD of Hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Selah

8Come, see the works of the LORD,

who brings devastation upon the earth.

9He makes wars to cease throughout the earth;

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

He burns the shieldsb in the fire.

10“Be still and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted over the earth.”

11The LORD of Hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Selah

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Proverbs 1
“words put forward”  
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

Purpose and Theme

1The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

2for gaining wisdom and instruction;

for understanding words of insight;

3for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,

doing what is right and just and fair;

4for giving prudence to those who are simple, a

knowledge and discretion to the young—

5let the wise listen and add to their learning,

and let the discerning get guidance—

6for understanding proverbs and parables,

the sayings and riddles of the wise. b

7The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,

but fools c despise wisdom and instruction.

Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men

8Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction

and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

9They are a garland to grace your head

and a chain to adorn your neck.

10My son, if sinful men entice you,

do not give in to them.

11If they say, “Come along with us;

let’s lie in wait for innocent blood,

let’s ambush some harmless soul;

12let’s swallow them alive, like the grave,

and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

13we will get all sorts of valuable things

and fill our houses with plunder;

14cast lots with us;

we will all share the loot”—

15my son, do not go along with them,

do not set foot on their paths;

16for their feet rush into evil,

they are swift to shed blood.

17How useless to spread a net

where every bird can see it!

18These men lie in wait for their own blood;

they ambush only themselves!

19Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;

it takes away the life of those who get it.

Wisdom’s Rebuke

20Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,

she raises her voice in the public square;

21on top of the wall d she cries out,

at the city gate she makes her speech:

22“How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?

How long will mockers delight in mockery

and fools hate knowledge?

23Repent at my rebuke!

Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,

I will make known to you my teachings.

24But since you refuse to listen when I call

and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,

25since you disregard all my advice

and do not accept my rebuke,

26I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;

I will mock when calamity overtakes you—

27when calamity overtakes you like a storm,

when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,

when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

28“Then they will call to me but I will not answer;

they will look for me but will not find me,

29since they hated knowledge

and did not choose to fear the Lord.

30Since they would not accept my advice

and spurned my rebuke,

31they will eat the fruit of their ways

and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

32For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,

and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

33but whoever listens to me will live in safety

and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Hebrews 12
” a biblical Jew, Israelite”  “one from the other side of the river  “
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

A Call to Endurance
(2 Timothy 2:1–13)

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

God Disciplines His Sons

4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons:

“My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord,

and do not lose heart when He rebukes you.

6For the Lord disciplines the one He loves,

and He chastises every son He receives.”

7Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you do not experience discipline like everyone else, then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Furthermore, we have all had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them. Should we not much more submit to the Father of our spirits and live?

10Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness. 11No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peacec to those who have been trained by it.

12Therefore strengthen your limp hands and weak knees. 13Make straight paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

A Call to Holiness
(1 Peter 1:13–21)

14Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. 15See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many. 16See to it that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his birthright. 17For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected. He could find no ground for repentance, though he sought the blessing with tears.

An Unshakable Kingdom
(Exodus 20:18–21; Deuteronomy 5:22–33)

18For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom, and storm; 19to a trumpet blast or to a voice that made its hearers beg that no further word be spoken. 20For they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.” 21The sight was so terrifying that even Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”i

22Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads of angels 23in joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn, enrolled in heaven. You have come to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

25See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if the people did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject Him who warns us from heaven? 26At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth, but heaven as well.” 27The words “Once more” signify the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that the unshakable may remain.

28Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. 29“For our God is a consuming fire.”

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Hebrews 6
” a biblical Jew, Israelite”  “one from the other side of the river “
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(Berean Standard Bible)

A Call to Maturity

Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith in God,  instruction about baptisms,  the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.  And this we will do, if God permits.

It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age— and then have fallen away—to be restored to repentance, because they themselves are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to open shame.

For land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is tended receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless, and its curse is imminent. In the end it will be burned.

Even though we speak like this, beloved, we are convinced of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation.  For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.

We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.  Then you will not be sluggish, but will imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

God’s Unchangeable Promise

When God made His promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself,  saying, “I will surely bless you and multiply your descendants.”  And so Abraham, after waiting patiently, obtained the promise.

Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and their oath serves as a confirmation to end all argument. So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath.  Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,  where Jesus our forerunner has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Job 29
“piece of work; something to be done”  “task, piece of work”  “work done for pay”  “the penitent one“
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

Job’s Final Defense

Job continued his discourse:

“How I long for the months gone by,

for the days when God watched over me,

when his lamp shone on my head

and by his light I walked through darkness!

Oh, for the days when I was in my prime,

when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house,

when the Almighty was still with me

and my children were around me,

when my path was drenched with cream

and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil.

“When I went to the gate of the city

and took my seat in the public square,

the young men saw me and stepped aside

and the old men rose to their feet;

the chief men refrained from speaking

and covered their mouths with their hands;

the voices of the nobles were hushed,

and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.

Whoever heard me spoke well of me,

and those who saw me commended me,

because I rescued the poor who cried for help,

and the fatherless who had none to assist them.

he one who was dying blessed me;

I made the widow’s heart sing.

I put on righteousness as my clothing;

justice was my robe and my turban.

I was eyes to the blind

and feet to the lame.

I was a father to the needy;

I took up the case of the stranger.

I broke the fangs of the wicked

and snatched the victims from their teeth.

“I thought, ‘I will die in my own house,

my days as numerous as the grains of sand.

My roots will reach to the water,

and the dew will lie all night on my branches.

My glory will not fade;

the bow will be ever new in my hand.’

“People listened to me expectantly,

waiting in silence for my counsel.

After I had spoken, they spoke no more;

my words fell gently on their ears.

They waited for me as for showers

and drank in my words as the spring rain.

When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it;

the light of my face was precious to them. 

I chose the way for them and sat as their chief;

I dwelt as a king among his troops;

I was like one who comforts mourners.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

The Oh Hello’s – Like the Dawn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd9vh89To4M

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Audioslave – Show Me How to Live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVXIK1xCRpY

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Отава Ё – Что за песни (Otava Yo – what songs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqfrljOcUIo

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Revival House Project · Phebe Edwards · GeO Gospel Choir – Think (Club Version)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c3lHKOVzY8

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ58Yv6kP44&t=123s

Vladimir Putin’s landmark speech on February 10th 2007 at 43rd Munich Security Conference where he openly criticized the US for its striving for a unipolar world, its unrestrained use of force and its disdain for international law.

Source:

Valery  Gerasimov
Chief of the Russian General Staff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhZwsVMnzNc

China resolutely opposes the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)’s malicious smear and ideological prejudice against China and its eastward expansion into the Asia-Pacific region, which risks creating bloc confrontation and even a new Cold War

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

The Last Supper

By:  Leonardo Davinci

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

The Judgement of History

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Luke 20
( “tepid”  “warm”  “Bringer of light“)
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him.  “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?”

He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me: John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’  But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”

So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.”

Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

The Parable of the Tenants

He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time.  At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed.  He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.

“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’

“But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’  So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?  He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”

When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”

Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written:

“ ‘The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone’ ?

Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.

Paying Taxes to Caesar

Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor.  So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.  Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

He saw through their duplicity and said to them, “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.

The Resurrection and Marriage

Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question.  “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless.  The second and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children.  Finally, the woman died too.  Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage.  But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection.  But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’  He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”

Some of the teachers of the law responded, “Well said, teacher!”  And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Whose Son Is the Messiah?

Then Jesus said to them, “Why is it said that the Messiah is the son of David?  David himself declares in the Book of Psalms:

“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord:

“Sit at my right hand

until I make your enemies

a footstool for your feet.” ’ 

David calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”

Warning Against the Teachers of the Law

While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples,  “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.   They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Luke 1
( “tepid”  “warm”  “Bringer of light“)
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(Berean Standard Bible)

Dedication to Theophilus

Many have undertaken to compose an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by the initial eyewitnesses and servants of the word.  Therefore, having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

Gabriel Foretells John’s Birth

In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah, and whose wife Elizabeth was a daughter of Aaron.  Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord.  But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well along in years.

One day while Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.  And at the hour of the incense offering, the whole congregation was praying outside.

Just then an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.  When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and gripped with fear.

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.  He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall never take wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.  Many of the sons of Israel he will turn back to the Lord their God.  And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

“How can I be sure of this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.”

“I am Gabriel,” replied the angel. “I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.  And now you will be silent and unable to speak until the day this comes to pass, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”

Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he took so long in the temple.  When he came out and was unable to speak to them, they realized he had seen a vision in the temple. He kept making signs to them but remained speechless.  And when the days of his service were complete, he returned home.

After these days, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. She declared,  “The Lord has done this for me. In these days He has shown me favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

Gabriel Foretells Jesus’ Birth

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.  The angel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  So the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!”

“How can this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.  Look, even Elizabeth your relative has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is in her sixth month.  For no word from God will ever fail.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it happen to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

In those days Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah,  where she entered the home of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  In a loud voice she exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord’s word to her will be fulfilled.”

Mary’s Song

Then Mary said:

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

For He has looked with favor on the humble state of His servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed.

For the Mighty One has done great things for me.

Holy is His name.

His mercy extends to those who fear Him,

from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with His arm;

He has scattered those who are proud

in the thoughts of their hearts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones,

but has exalted the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped His servant Israel,

remembering to be merciful,

as He promised to our fathers,

to Abraham and his descendants forever.”

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

The Birth of John the Baptist

When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a son.  Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they rejoiced with her.

On the eighth day, when they came to circumcise the child, they were going to name him after his father Zechariah.  But his mother replied, “No! He shall be called John.”

They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who bears this name.”  So they made signs to his father to find out what he wanted to name the child.

Zechariah asked for a tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed.  Immediately Zechariah’s mouth was opened and his tongue was released, and he began to speak, praising God.

All their neighbors were filled with awe, and people throughout the hill country of Judea were talking about these events.  And all who heard this wondered in their hearts and asked, “What then will this child become?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.

Zechariah’s Song

Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

because He has visited and redeemed His people.

He has raised up a horn of salvation for us

in the house of His servant David,

as He spoke through His holy prophets,

those of ages past,

salvation from our enemies

and from the hand of all who hate us,

to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember His holy covenant,

the oath He swore to our father Abraham,

to grant us deliverance from hostile hands,

that we may serve Him without fear,

in holiness and righteousness before Him

all the days of our lives.

And you, child, will be called

a prophet of the Most High;

for you will go on before the Lord

to prepare the way for Him,

to give to His people the knowledge of salvation

through the forgiveness of their sins,

because of the tender mercy of our God,

by which the Dawn will visit us from on high,

to shine on those who live in darkness

and in the shadow of death,

to guide our feet

into the path of peace.”

And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until the time of his public appearance to Israel.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Joel 2
“the Lord is God“
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

An Army of Locusts

Blow the trumpet in Zion;

sound the alarm on my holy hill.

Let all who live in the land tremble,

for the day of the Lord is coming.

It is close at hand—

a day of darkness and gloom,

a day of clouds and blackness.

Like dawn spreading across the mountains

a large and mighty army comes,

such as never was in ancient times

nor ever will be in ages to come.

Before them fire devours,

behind them a flame blazes.

Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,

behind them, a desert waste—

nothing escapes them.

They have the appearance of horses;

they gallop along like cavalry.

With a noise like that of chariots

they leap over the mountaintops,

like a crackling fire consuming stubble,

like a mighty army drawn up for battle.

At the sight of them, nations are in anguish;

every face turns pale.

They charge like warriors;

they scale walls like soldiers.

They all march in line,

not swerving from their course.

They do not jostle each other;

each marches straight ahead.

They plunge through defenses

without breaking ranks.

They rush upon the city;

they run along the wall.

They climb into the houses;

like thieves they enter through the windows.

Before them the earth shakes,

the heavens tremble,

the sun and moon are darkened,

and the stars no longer shine.

The Lord thunders

at the head of his army;

his forces are beyond number,

and mighty is the army that obeys his command.

The day of the Lord is great;

it is dreadful.

Who can endure it?

Rend Your Heart

“Even now,” declares the Lord,

“return to me with all your heart,

with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

Rend your heart

and not your garments.

Return to the Lord your God,

for he is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and abounding in love,

and he relents from sending calamity.

Who knows? He may turn and relent

and leave behind a blessing—

grain offerings and drink offerings

for the Lord your God.

Blow the trumpet in Zion,

declare a holy fast,

call a sacred assembly.

Gather the people,

consecrate the assembly;

bring together the elders,

gather the children,

those nursing at the breast.

Let the bridegroom leave his room

and the bride her chamber.

Let the priests, who minister before the Lord,

weep between the portico and the altar.

Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord.

Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,

a byword among the nations.

Why should they say among the peoples,

‘Where is their God?’ ”

The Lord’s Answer

Then the Lord was jealous for his land

and took pity on his people.

The Lord replied to them:

“I am sending you grain, new wine and olive oil,

enough to satisfy you fully;

never again will I make you

an object of scorn to the nations.

“I will drive the northern horde far from you,

pushing it into a parched and barren land;

its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea

and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea.

And its stench will go up;

its smell will rise.”

Surely he has done great things!

Do not be afraid, land of Judah;

be glad and rejoice.

Surely the Lord has done great things!

Do not be afraid, you wild animals,

for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green.

The trees are bearing their fruit;

the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.

Be glad, people of Zion,

rejoice in the Lord your God,

for he has given you the autumn rains

because he is faithful.

He sends you abundant showers,

both autumn and spring rains, as before.

The threshing floors will be filled with grain;

the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.

“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—

the great locust and the young locust,

The other locusts and the locust swarm —

my great army that I sent among you.

You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,

and you will praise the name of the Lord your God,

who has worked wonders for you;

never again will my people be shamed.

Then you will know that I am in Israel,

that I am the Lord your God,

and that there is no other;

never again will my people be shamed.

The Day of the Lord

“And afterward,

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

your old men will dream dreams,

your young men will see visions.

Even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

I will show wonders in the heavens

and on the earth,

blood and fire and billows of smoke.

The sun will be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood

before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

And everyone who calls

on the name of the Lord will be saved;

for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem

there will be deliverance,

as the Lord has said,

even among the survivors

whom the Lord calls. 

Blow the trumpet in Zion;

sound the alarm on my holy hill.

Let all who live in the land tremble,

for the day of the Lord is coming.

It is close at hand—

a day of darkness and gloom,

a day of clouds and blackness.

Like dawn spreading across the mountains

a large and mighty army comes,

such as never was in ancient times

nor ever will be in ages to come.

Before them fire devours,

behind them a flame blazes.

Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,

behind them, a desert waste—

nothing escapes them.

They have the appearance of horses;

they gallop along like cavalry.

With a noise like that of chariots

they leap over the mountaintops,

like a crackling fire consuming stubble,

like a mighty army drawn up for battle.

At the sight of them, nations are in anguish;

every face turns pale.

They charge like warriors;

they scale walls like soldiers.

They all march in line,

not swerving from their course.

They do not jostle each other;

each marches straight ahead.

They plunge through defenses

without breaking ranks.

They rush upon the city;

they run along the wall.

They climb into the houses;

like thieves they enter through the windows.

Before them the earth shakes,

the heavens tremble,

the sun and moon are darkened,

and the stars no longer shine.

The Lord thunders

at the head of his army;

his forces are beyond number,

and mighty is the army that obeys his command.

The day of the Lord is great;

it is dreadful.

Who can endure it?

Rend Your Heart

“Even now,” declares the Lord,

“return to me with all your heart,

with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

Rend your heart

and not your garments.

Return to the Lord your God,

for he is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and abounding in love,

and he relents from sending calamity.

Who knows? He may turn and relent

and leave behind a blessing—

grain offerings and drink offerings

for the Lord your God.

Blow the trumpet in Zion,

declare a holy fast,

call a sacred assembly.

Gather the people,

consecrate the assembly;

bring together the elders,

gather the children,

those nursing at the breast.

Let the bridegroom leave his room

and the bride her chamber.

Let the priests, who minister before the Lord,

weep between the portico and the altar.

Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord.

Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,

a byword among the nations.

Why should they say among the peoples,

‘Where is their God?’ ”

The Lord’s Answer

Then the Lord was jealous for his land

and took pity on his people.

The Lord replied to them:

“I am sending you grain, new wine and olive oil,

enough to satisfy you fully;

never again will I make you

an object of scorn to the nations.

“I will drive the northern horde far from you,

pushing it into a parched and barren land;

its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea

and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea.

And its stench will go up;

its smell will rise.”

Surely he has done great things!

Do not be afraid, land of Judah;

be glad and rejoice.

Surely the Lord has done great things!

Do not be afraid, you wild animals,

for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green.

The trees are bearing their fruit;

the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.

Be glad, people of Zion,

rejoice in the Lord your God,

for he has given you the autumn rains

because he is faithful.

He sends you abundant showers,

both autumn and spring rains, as before.

The threshing floors will be filled with grain;

the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.

“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—

the great locust and the young locust,

the other locusts and the locust swarm —

my great army that I sent among you.

You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,

and you will praise the name of the Lord your God,

who has worked wonders for you;

never again will my people be shamed.

Then you will know that I am in Israel,

that I am the Lord your God,

and that there is no other;

never again will my people be shamed.

The Day of the Lord

“And afterward,

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

your old men will dream dreams,

your young men will see visions.

Even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

I will show wonders in the heavens

and on the earth,

blood and fire and billows of smoke.

The sun will be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood

before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

And everyone who calls

on the name of the Lord will be saved;

for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem

there will be deliverance,

as the Lord has said,

even among the survivors

whom the Lord calls. c

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

1 Corinthians 1
(“point” “peak“)
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

The Nature of True Apostleship

1This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. 2Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.

6Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. 7For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

8Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! 9For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. 10We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! 11To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.

Paul’s Appeal and Warning

14I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 15Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

18Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Jeremiah 12
“may Jehovah exalt”  “the Lord casts, the Lord founds“
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(Berean Standard Bible)

The Prosperity of the Wicked

Righteous are You, O LORD,

when I plead before You.

Yet about Your judgments

I wish to contend with You:

Why does the way of the wicked prosper?

Why do all the faithless live at ease?

You planted them, and they have taken root.

They have grown and produced fruit.

You are ever on their lips,

but far from their hearts.

But You know me, O LORD;

You see me and test my heart toward You.

Drag away the wicked like sheep to the slaughter

and set them apart for the day of carnage.

How long will the land mourn

and the grass of every field be withered?

Because of the evil of its residents,

the animals and birds have been swept away,

for the people have said,

“He cannot see what our end will be.”

God’s Answer to Jeremiah

“If you have raced with men on foot

and they have worn you out,

how can you compete with horses?

If you stumble in a peaceful land,

how will you do in the thickets of the Jordan?

Even your brothers—

your own father’s household—

even they have betrayed you;

even they have cried aloud against you.

Do not trust them,

though they speak well of you.

I have forsaken My house;

I have abandoned My inheritance.

I have given the love of My life

into the hands of her enemies.

My inheritance has become to Me

like a lion in the forest.

She has roared against Me;

therefore I hate her.

Is not My inheritance to Me

like a speckled bird of prey

with other birds of prey circling against her?

Go, gather all the beasts of the field;

bring them to devour her.

Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard;

they have trampled My plot of ground.

They have turned My pleasant field

into a desolate wasteland.

They have made it a desolation;

desolate before Me, it mourns.

All the land is laid waste,

but no man takes it to heart.

Over all the barren heights in the wilderness

the destroyers have come,

for the sword of the LORD devours

from one end of the earth to the other.

No flesh has peace.

They have sown wheat but harvested thorns.

They have exhausted themselves to no avail.

Bear the shame of your harvest

because of the fierce anger of the LORD.”

A Message for Israel’s Neighbors

This is what the LORD says: “As for all My evil neighbors who attack the inheritance that I bequeathed to My people Israel, I am about to uproot them from their land, and I will uproot the house of Judah from among them.  But after I have uprooted them, I will once again have compassion on them and return each one to his inheritance and to his land.

And if they will diligently learn the ways of My people and swear by My name, saying, ‘As surely as the LORD lives’—just as they once taught My people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among My people.  But if they will not obey, then I will uproot that nation; I will uproot it and destroy it, declares the LORD.”

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Ephesians 1
(“overseer.“)
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

Children and Parents

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  “Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise),  “that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.”

Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Serving with Honor

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.  And do this not only to please them while they are watching, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.  Serve with good will, as to the Lord and not to men, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

And masters, do the same for your slaves. Give up your use of threats, because you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.

The Full Armor of God

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed,  and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.  Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel,  for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it fearlessly, as I should.

Final Greetings

Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know about me and what I am doing.  I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about us, and that he may encourage your hearts.

Peace to the brothers and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Ecclesiastes 9
(“one who addresses an assembly”  “speaker in an assembly or church, preacher”  “to call out“
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

A Common Destiny for All

So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them.  All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad,  the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.

As it is with the good,

so with the sinful;

as it is with those who take oaths,

so with those who are afraid to take them.

This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.  Anyone who is among the living has hope — even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!

For the living know that they will die,

but the dead know nothing;

they have no further reward,

and even their name is forgotten.

Their love, their hate

and their jealousy have long since vanished;

never again will they have a part

in anything that happens under the sun.

Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.  Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil.  Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.  Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

I have seen something else under the sun:

The race is not to the swift

or the battle to the strong,

nor does food come to the wise

or wealth to the brilliant

or favor to the learned;

but time and chance happen to them all.

Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come:

As fish are caught in a cruel net,

or birds are taken in a snare,

so people are trapped by evil times

that fall unexpectedly upon them.

Wisdom Better Than Folly

I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me:  There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it.  Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man.  So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.

The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded

than the shouts of a ruler of fools.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war,

but one sinner destroys much good.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Romans 15
(“of Rome”)
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(Berean Standard Bible)

Accept One Another

We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.  For even Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written: “The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me.”  For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.

Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you harmony with one another in Christ Jesus,  so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ the Servant of Jews and Gentiles

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring glory to God.  For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs,  so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles;

I will sing hymns to Your name.”

Again, it says:

“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.”

And again:

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,

and extol Him, all you peoples.”

And once more, Isaiah says:

“The Root of Jesse will appear,

One who will arise to rule over the Gentiles;

in Him the Gentiles will put their hope.”

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, brimming with knowledge, and able to instruct one another.  However, I have written you a bold reminder on some points, because of the grace God has given me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Therefore I exult in Christ Jesus in my service to God.  I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God.  So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.

In this way I have aspired to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.  Rather, as it is written:

“Those who were not told about Him will see,

and those who have not heard will understand.”

That is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.

Paul’s Travel Plans

But now that there are no further opportunities for me in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to visit you,  I hope to see you on my way to Spain. And after I have enjoyed your company for a while, you can equip me for my journey.

Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem to serve the saints there.  For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.  They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they are obligated to minister to them with material blessings.

So after I have completed this service and have safely delivered this bounty to them, I will set off to Spain by way of you.  I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.  Pray that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.

The God of peace be with all of you. Amen.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

2 Timothy 2
(“honor, respect”  “Honoring God“)
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

The Appeal Renewed

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.  Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.  Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.  The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.  Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained.  Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

Here is a trustworthy saying:

If we died with him,

we will also live with him;

if we endure,

we will also reign with him.

If we disown him,

he will also disown us;

if we are faithless,

he remains faithful,

for he cannot disown himself.

Dealing With False Teachers

Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.  Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.  Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.  Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.  Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use.  Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.  Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.  And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.  Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,  and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

2 Peter 3
“stone, rock“
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

The Day of the Lord

Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking.  I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.  They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”  But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.  By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.  By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.  That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.  But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.  Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.  He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.  But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Matthew 41
( “gift of Jehovah“)
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

He said:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

The Fulfillment of the Law

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.  Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Murder

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,  and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Adultery

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Divorce

“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’  But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Oaths

“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’  But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;  or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.  And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.  All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. 

Eye for Eye

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’  But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.  And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.  If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.  Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Love for Enemies

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?  Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Ezekiel 36
(“God strengthens”)
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

Hope for the Mountains of Israel

“Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, ‘Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord.  This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.” ’  Therefore prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because they ravaged and crushed you from every side so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations and the object of people’s malicious talk and slander, therefore, mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign Lord: This is what the Sovereign Lord says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, to the desolate ruins and the deserted towns that have been plundered and ridiculed by the rest of the nations around you—  this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my burning zeal I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, for with glee and with malice in their hearts they made my land their own possession so that they might plunder its pastureland.’  Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I speak in my jealous wrath because you have suffered the scorn of the nations.  Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I swear with uplifted hand that the nations around you will also suffer scorn.

“ ‘But you, mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home.  I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown,  and I will cause many people to live on you—yes, all of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.  I will increase the number of people and animals living on you, and they will be fruitful and become numerous. I will settle people on you as in the past and will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the Lord.  I will cause people, my people Israel, to live on you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance; you will never again deprive them of their children.

“ ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because some say to you, “You devour people and deprive your nation of its children,”  therefore you will no longer devour people or make your nation childless, declares the Sovereign Lord.  No longer will I make you hear the taunts of the nations, and no longer will you suffer the scorn of the peoples or cause your nation to fall, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ ”

Israel’s Restoration Assured

Again the word of the Lord came to me:  “Son of man, when the people of Israel were living in their own land, they defiled it by their conduct and their actions. Their conduct was like a woman’s monthly uncleanness in my sight.  So I poured out my wrath on them because they had shed blood in the land and because they had defiled it with their idols.  I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered through the countries; I judged them according to their conduct and their actions.  And wherever they went among the nations they profaned my holy name, for it was said of them, ‘These are the Lord’s people, and yet they had to leave his land.’   I had concern for my holy name, which the people of Israel profaned among the nations where they had gone.

“Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone.  I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.

“ ‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.  I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.  Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.  I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you.  I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine.  Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices.  I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign Lord. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, people of Israel!

“ ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt.  The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it.   They will say, “This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited.”  Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the Lord have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.’

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Once again I will yield to Israel’s plea and do this for them: I will make their people as numerous as sheep,  as numerous as the flocks for offerings at Jerusalem during her appointed festivals. So will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

1 Peter 2
(“Stone, Rock”)
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.  Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,  now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,

a chosen and precious cornerstone,

and the one who trusts in him

will never be put to shame.” 

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone,” 

and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble

and a rock that makes them fall.” 

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.  Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.  For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.  Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.  Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.  For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.  But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.  To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

“He committed no sin,

and no deceit was found in his mouth.”

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”  For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

 Colossians 1
(“the idea of setting up a sacred space or shrine.“)
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

Greetings from Paul and Timothy

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,  because we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints— the faith and love proceeding from the hope stored up for you in heaven, of which you have already heard in the word of truth, the gospel  that has come to you.

All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood the grace of God.  You learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also informed us of your love in the Spirit.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,  so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.

He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Supremacy of the Son

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.

He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.  And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence.  For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.

Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds.  But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence— if indeed you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Paul’s Suffering for the Church

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church.  I became its servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the word of God, the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints.  To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.  To this end I also labor, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Jeremiah 10
“may Jehovah exalt”  “the Lord casts, the Lord founds“
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(Berean Standard Bible)

The Sovereignty of God

Hear the word that the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel.  This is what the LORD says:

“Do not learn the ways of the nations

or be terrified by the signs in the heavens,

though the nations themselves are terrified by them.

For the customs of the peoples are worthless;

they cut down a tree from the forest;

it is shaped with a chisel

by the hands of a craftsman.

They adorn it with silver and gold

and fasten it with hammer and nails,

so that it will not totter.

Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch,

their idols cannot speak.

They must be carried

because they cannot walk.

Do not fear them, for they can do no harm,

and neither can they do any good.”

There is none like You, O LORD.

You are great, and Your name is mighty in power.

Who would not fear You, O King of nations?

This is Your due.

For among all the wise men of the nations,

and in all their kingdoms,

there is none like You.

But they are altogether senseless and foolish,

instructed by worthless idols made of wood!

Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish,

and gold from Uphaz—

the work of a craftsman

from the hands of a goldsmith.

Their clothes are blue and purple,

all fashioned by skilled workers.

But the LORD is the true God;

He is the living God and eternal King.

The earth quakes at His wrath,

and the nations cannot endure His indignation.

Thus you are to tell them: “These gods, who have made neither the heavens nor the earth, will perish from this earth and from under these heavens.”

The LORD made the earth by His power;

He established the world by His wisdom

and stretched out the heavens by His understanding.

When He thunders,

the waters in the heavens roar;

He causes the clouds to rise

from the ends of the earth.

He generates the lightning with the rain

and brings forth the wind from His storehouses.

Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge;

every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols.

For his molten images are a fraud,

and there is no breath in them.

They are worthless, a work to be mocked.

In the time of their punishment they will perish.

The Portion of Jacob is not like these,

for He is the Maker of all things,

and Israel is the tribe of His inheritance—

the LORD of Hosts is His name.

The Coming Captivity of Judah

Gather up your belongings from this land, you who live under siege. For this is what the LORD says:

“Behold, at this time I will sling out

the inhabitants of the land

and bring distress upon them

so that they may be captured.”

Woe to me because of my brokenness;

my wound is grievous!

But I said, “This is truly my sickness,

and I must bear it.”

My tent is destroyed,

and all its ropes are snapped.

My sons have departed from me

and are no more.

I have no one left to pitch my tent

or set up my curtains.

For the shepherds have become senseless;

they do not seek the LORD.

Therefore they have not prospered,

and all their flock is scattered.

Listen! The sound of a report is coming—

a great commotion from the land to the north.

The cities of Judah will be made a desolation,

a haunt for jackals.

I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not his own;

no one who walks directs his own steps.

Correct me, O LORD,

but only with justice—

not in Your anger,

or You will bring me to nothing.

Pour out Your wrath on the nations

that do not acknowledge You,

and on the families

that do not call on Your name.

For they have devoured Jacob;

they have consumed him and finished him off;

they have devastated his homeland.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

 Job 41
( “piece of work; something to be done,“
“occurrence, business, state of things“  “Patient  Endurance” )
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(Berean Standard Bible)

The LORD’s Power Shown in Leviathan

“Can you pull in Leviathan with a hook

or tie down his tongue with a rope?

Can you put a cord through his nose

or pierce his jaw with a hook?

Will he beg you for mercy

or speak to you softly?

Will he make a covenant with you

to take him as a slave for life?

Can you pet him like a bird

or put him on a leash for your maidens?

Will traders barter for him

or divide him among the merchants?

Can you fill his hide with harpoons

or his head with fishing spears?

If you lay a hand on him,

you will remember the battle and never repeat it!

Surely hope of overcoming him is false.

Is not the sight of him overwhelming?

No one is so fierce as to rouse Leviathan.

Then who is able to stand against Me?

Who has given to Me that I should repay him?

Everything under heaven is Mine.

I cannot keep silent about his limbs,

his power and graceful form.

Who can strip off his outer coat?

Who can approach him with a bridle?

Who can open his jaws,

ringed by his fearsome teeth?

His rows of scales are his pride,

tightly sealed together.

One scale is so near to another

that no air can pass between them.

They are joined to one another;

they clasp and cannot be separated.

His snorting flashes with light,

and his eyes are like the rays of dawn.

Firebrands stream from his mouth;

fiery sparks shoot forth!

Smoke billows from his nostrils

as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.

His breath sets coals ablaze,

and flames pour from his mouth.

Strength resides in his neck,

and dismay leaps before him.

The folds of his flesh are tightly joined;

they are firm and immovable.

His chest is as hard as a rock,

as hard as a lower millstone!

When Leviathan rises up, the mighty are terrified;

they withdraw before his thrashing.

The sword that reaches him has no effect,

nor does the spear or dart or arrow.

He regards iron as straw

and bronze as rotten wood.

No arrow can make him flee;

slingstones become like chaff to him.

A club is regarded as straw,

and he laughs at the sound of the lance.

His undersides are jagged potsherds,

spreading out the mud like a threshing sledge.

He makes the depths seethe like a cauldron;

he makes the sea like a jar of ointment.

He leaves a glistening wake behind him;

one would think the deep had white hair!

Nothing on earth is his equal—

a creature devoid of fear!

He looks down on all the haughty;

he is king over all the proud.”

 

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Proverbs 4
” A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth“
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

Get Wisdom at Any Cost

Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;

pay attention and gain understanding.

I give you sound learning,

so do not forsake my teaching.

For I too was a son to my father,

still tender, and cherished by my mother.

Then he taught me, and he said to me,

“Take hold of my words with all your heart;

keep my commands, and you will live.

Get wisdom, get understanding;

do not forget my words or turn away from them.

Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;

love her, and she will watch over you.

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom.

Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

Cherish her, and she will exalt you;

embrace her, and she will honor you.

She will give you a garland to grace your head

and present you with a glorious crown.”

Listen, my son, accept what I say,

and the years of your life will be many.

I instruct you in the way of wisdom

and lead you along straight paths.

When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;

when you run, you will not stumble.

Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;

guard it well, for it is your life.

Do not set foot on the path of the wicked

or walk in the way of evildoers.

Avoid it, do not travel on it;

turn from it and go on your way.

For they cannot rest until they do evil;

they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.

They eat the bread of wickedness

and drink the wine of violence.

The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,

shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;

they do not know what makes them stumble.

My son, pay attention to what I say;

turn your ear to my words.

Do not let them out of your sight,

keep them within your heart;

for they are life to those who find them

and health to one’s whole body.

Above all else, guard your heart,

for everything you do flows from it.

Keep your mouth free of perversity;

keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

Let your eyes look straight ahead;

fix your gaze directly before you.

Give careful thought to the paths for your feet

and be steadfast in all your ways.

Do not turn to the right or the left;

keep your foot from evil.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Psalm 73
“sacred poem or song“
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(Berean Standard Bible)

BOOK III

Psalms 73–89

Surely God Is Good to Israel

A Psalm of Asaph.

Surely God is good to Israel,

to those who are pure in heart.

But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;

my steps had nearly slipped.

For I envied the arrogant

when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

They have no struggle in their death;

their bodies are well-fed.

They are free of the burdens others carry;

they are not afflicted like other men.

Therefore pride is their necklace;

a garment of violence covers them.

From their prosperity proceeds iniquity;

the imaginations of their hearts run wild.

They mock and speak with malice;

with arrogance they threaten oppression.

They set their mouths against the heavens,

and their tongues strut across the earth.

So their people return to this place

and drink up waters in abundance.

The wicked say, “How can God know?

Does the Most High have knowledge?”

Behold, these are the wicked—

always carefree as they increase their wealth.

Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure;

in innocence I have washed my hands.

For I am afflicted all day long

and punished every morning.

If I had said, “I will speak this way,”

then I would have betrayed Your children.

When I tried to understand all this,

it was troublesome in my sight

until I entered God’s sanctuary;

then I discerned their end.

Surely You set them on slick ground;

You cast them down into ruin.

How suddenly they are laid waste,

completely swept away by terrors!

Like one waking from a dream,

so You, O Lord, awaken and despise their form.

When my heart was grieved

and I was pierced within,

I was senseless and ignorant;

I was a brute beast before You.

Yet I am always with You;

You hold my right hand.

You guide me with Your counsel,

and later receive me in glory.

Whom have I in heaven but You?

And on earth I desire no one besides You.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever.

Those far from You will surely perish;

You destroy all who are unfaithful to You.

But as for me, it is good to draw near to God.

I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,

that I may proclaim all Your works.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

2 Chronicles 8
( “historical account of facts or events in the order of time“
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

Solomon’s Other Activities

At the end of twenty years, during which Solomon built the temple of the Lord and his own palace,  Solomon rebuilt the villages that Hiram had given him, and settled Israelites in them.  Solomon then went to Hamath Zobah and captured it.  He also built up Tadmor in the desert and all the store cities he had built in Hamath.  He rebuilt Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon as fortified cities, with walls and with gates and bars,  as well as Baalath and all his store cities, and all the cities for his chariots and for his horses —whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory he ruled.

There were still people left from the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites (these people were not Israelites).  Solomon conscripted the descendants of all these people remaining in the land—whom the Israelites had not destroyed—to serve as slave labor, as it is to this day.  But Solomon did not make slaves of the Israelites for his work; they were his fighting men, commanders of his captains, and commanders of his chariots and charioteers.  They were also King Solomon’s chief officials—two hundred and fifty officials supervising the men.

Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her, for he said, “My wife must not live in the palace of David king of Israel, because the places the ark of the Lord has entered are holy.”

On the altar of the Lord that he had built in front of the portico, Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord,  according to the daily requirement for offerings commanded by Moses for the Sabbaths, the New Moons and the three annual festivals—the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles.  In keeping with the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their duties, and the Levites to lead the praise and to assist the priests according to each day’s requirement. He also appointed the gatekeepers by divisions for the various gates, because this was what David the man of God had ordered.  They did not deviate from the king’s commands to the priests or to the Levites in any matter, including that of the treasuries.

All Solomon’s work was carried out, from the day the foundation of the temple of the Lord was laid until its completion. So the temple of the Lord was finished.

Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and Elath on the coast of Edom.  And Hiram sent him ships commanded by his own men, sailors who knew the sea. These, with Solomon’s men, sailed to Ophir and brought back four hundred and fifty talents of gold, which they delivered to King Solomon.

Office Hours

۞

TELOS

۞

Contact Info

info@telos.city

Copyright© . April 04, 2025.......................... www.Telos.City ..... All Rights Reserved.