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Pray for our leaders

Mike — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 13:46:43 +0000

Most of us are familiar with 1 Tim 2:1 where the Scriptures remind us to pray for our leaders. However, I did not recall this passage until I received it from a friend. It is hard for many of those who disagree with Obama to actually pray for him. I believe Psalm 109:8 will give you something to pray for. It comes with a little story to make it a bit more interesting. Yes, I checked out Psalm 109:8 and it says exactly what the email claims it says.

Received from a friend via email:

We were in slow-moving traffic the other day and the car in front of us had an Obama bumper sticker on it. It read: “Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8″.

My husband’s Bible was lying on the dashboard and he got it and opened it up to the scripture and read it. He started laughing and laughing. Then he read it to me. I couldn’t believe what it said. I had a good laugh, too.

Psalm 109:8 — “Let his days be few; and let another take his office. ”

At last – I can voice a Biblical prayer for our president! Look it up – it is word for word! Let us all bow our heads and pray.

March 16: Exodus 27, John 6, Proverbs 3, Galatians 2

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:01:00 +0000

Exodus 27 ( Listen ) The Bronze Altar 27:1? “You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits broad. The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze. You shall make pots for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and forks and fire pans. You shall make all its utensils of bronze. You shall also make for it a grating, a network of bronze, and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners. And you shall set it under the ledge of the altar so that the net extends halfway down the altar. And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. And the poles shall be put through the rings, so that the poles are on the two sides of the altar when it is carried. You shall make it hollow, with boards. As it has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made. The Court of the Tabernacle “You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for one side. Its twenty pillars and their twenty bases shall be of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. And likewise for its length on the north side there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long, its pillars twenty and their bases twenty, of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. And for the breadth of the court on the west side there shall be hangings for fifty cubits, with ten pillars and ten bases. The breadth of the court on the front to the east shall be fifty cubits. The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. On the other side the hangings shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. For the gate of the court there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. It shall have four pillars and with them four bases. All the pillars around the court shall be filleted with silver. Their hooks shall be of silver, and their bases of bronze. The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, the breadth fifty, and the height five cubits, with hangings of fine twined linen and bases of bronze. All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the court, shall be of bronze. Oil for the Lamp “You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel. John 6 ( Listen ) Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand 6:1? After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. Jesus Walks on Water When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. I Am the Bread of Life On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’ ?” Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum. The Words of Eternal Life When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him. Proverbs 3 ( Listen ) Trust in the LORD with All Your Heart 3:1? My son, do not forget my teaching, ?? but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life ?? and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; ?? bind them around your neck; ?? write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success ?? in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, ?? and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, ?? and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; ?? fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh ?? and refreshment to your bones. Honor the LORD with your wealth ?? and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, ?? and your vats will be bursting with wine. My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline ?? or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, ?? as a father the son in whom he delights. Blessed Is the One Who Finds Wisdom Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, ?? and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver ?? and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, ?? and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; ?? in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, ?? and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; ?? those who hold her fast are called blessed. The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; ?? by understanding he established the heavens; by his knowledge the deeps broke open, ?? and the clouds drop down the dew. My son, do not lose sight of these— ?? keep sound wisdom and discretion, and they will be life for your soul ?? and adornment for your neck. Then you will walk on your way securely, ?? and your foot will not stumble. If you lie down, you will not be afraid; ?? when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror ?? or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the LORD will be your confidence ?? and will keep your foot from being caught. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, ?? when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, ?? tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you. Do not plan evil against your neighbor, ?? who dwells trustingly beside you. Do not contend with a man for no reason, ?? when he has done you no harm. Do not envy a man of violence ?? and do not choose any of his ways, for the devious person is an abomination to the LORD, ?? but the upright are in his confidence. The LORD’s curse is on the house of the wicked, ?? but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous. Toward the scorners he is scornful, ?? but to the humble he gives favor. The wise will inherit honor, ?? but fools get disgrace. Galatians 2 ( Listen ) Paul Accepted by the Apostles 2:1? Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. Paul Opposes Peter But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” Justified by Faith We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. ( ESV ) Footnotes [1] 27:1 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters [2] 6:7 A denarius was a day’s wage for a laborer [3] 6:19 Greek twenty-five or thirty stadia ; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters [4] 6:58 Greek lacks the bread [5] 6:59 Greek He [6] 3:4 Or repute [7] 3:8 Hebrew navel [8] 3:8 Or medicine [9] 3:25 Hebrew storm [10] 3:27 Hebrew Do not withhold good from its owners [11] 3:34 Or grace [12] 3:35 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain [13] 2:16 Or counted righteous (three times in verse 16); also verse 17 [14] 2:21 Or justification

http://audio.esvonline.org/hw/02027001-02027021,43006001-43006071,20003001-20003035,48002001-48002021.mp3

Originally posted here:
March 16: Exodus 27, John 6, Proverbs 3, Galatians 2

What is the most important thing about Christianity?

Mike — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:04:48 +0000

Answer:

The most important thing is to believe in Jesus Christ as your only hope of redemption before God. We cannot do anything to save ourselves. How many times have you heard people say “I’m not so bad” and then go on to explain to you how they believe God will only send people like Stalin and Hitler to Hell. Others say “well, I go to Church” or “my uncle is a pastor” or any number of things. It makes me shudder to think of the ignorance about the most important thing of all in relation to Christianity.

Nowhere in the Bible does it say to “be good”, “go to Church” or “have a relative that is a pastor” and you will be saved.

See:

John 5:24 (New International Version)

²⁴“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

John 6:47 (New International Version)

⁴⁷I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.

John 10:9 (New International Version)

⁹I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.^[a] He will come in and go out, and find pasture.

John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:5-7 (in Context) John 14 (Whole Chapter)

Acts 2:21 (New International Version)

²¹And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

Romans 10:9 (New International Version)

⁹That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

2 Timothy 1 (New International Version)

⁸So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, ⁹who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, ¹⁰but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Community Organizers ‘Pray’ TO President-Elect Obama

Mike — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:43:16 +0000

2 Peter 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.

Faith – Is yours different from theirs?

Mike — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 23:28:21 +0000

I recently received a follow up comment on Atheism. The main point of a discussion with Atheists, Agnostics and people of various beliefs and sects is for us all to agree we share one thing in common and that is faith. Now, all intelligent people of various beliefs and denominations will agree that they all have faith in their particular system. The one’s that usually give you a hard time are Atheists and Agnostics. They will claim they do not have faith or that their belief system is devoid of faith. That is totally absurd. They may not have faith in a thing called God or gods but they do have faith.

The faith they have is the faith that there is no God or that nobody can know if there is a God or gods. Since they cannot disprove that a God or gods exist and we cannot prove that God or gods exist then we are both left with faith. However, things go a bit further in this discussion when you think about it logically.

The next step is to ask a different question since we all share faith equally. That question is which group, believers or nonbelievers have precedent on their side. We are not talking about the idea that some new theory has come against the original theory. A theory only loses its standing when it is disproved not simply attacked.

We should also not make other common mistakes as people of faith. For example, I would never argue that since the majority of the people in the world believe in God or gods then God or gods must exist. Majority views do not have any standing when you need to decide truth. This method may be used by our courts but American courts are not always correct. Another way to look at the majority view is to understand there once was a time when the majority of the people of the world believed it to be flat. Simple majorities do not dictate truth or prove something correct.

However, someone had to prove the world was not flat before the majority view could be discarded. All we can really say at this point is the majority view is that there is a God and it has been that way for all of recorded history. The faith of the Atheist and Agnostic is on very shakey ground. After all, it has been thousands of years and the theory that there is a God has not been shaken.

I might go one step further and say the fact that we can even have this discussion lends itself to the theory that there is a God. After all, as far as we can tell, the rest of creation does not seem to struggle with this idea at all. That makes me, and I am sure others, wonder who gave us the ability to question not only our own existence but the existence of our creator. It does not seem to be a product of the theory of natural selection.

Ask Questions

Mike — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 02:55:44 +0000

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