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Pray
if you want to!
CBS and Katie Couric et al must be in a panic and rushing to reassure the White House that this is not network policy. Folks, this is the year that we RE-TAKE AMERICA & CANADA ********* Get Ready ********* Read it and forward every time you receive it... We can't give up on this issue. Andy Rooney and Prayer Andy Rooney says: I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't agree with Darwin , but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his theory of evolution. Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered in any way because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game. So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire Book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game. But it's a Christian prayer, some will argue. Yes, and this is the United States of America , and Canada , countries founded on Christian principles. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1. So what would you expect -- Somebody chanting Hare Krishna? If I went to a football game in Jerusalem , I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer. If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad, I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer. If I went to a ping pong match in China , I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha. When in Rome ..... But what about the atheists? Is another argument. What about them? Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds. If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer! Or, just exercise their right to leave this country! Unfortunately, one or two will call their lawyer. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations. Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying. God, help us. And if that last sentence offends you, well, just sue me. The silent majority has been silent too long. It's time we tell that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard that the vast majority doesn't care what they want! It is time that the majority rules! It's time we tell them, "You don't have to pray; you don't have to say the Pledge of Allegiance; you don't have to believe in God or attend services that honor Him. That is your right, and we will honor your right; But by golly, You are no longer going to take our rights away. We are fighting back, and we WILL WIN!" God bless us one and all...Especially those who denounce Him, God bless America and Canada , despite all our faults, we are still the greatest nations of all. God bless our service men who Are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God. Keep looking up. If you agree with this, please pass it on. If not delete it. BUT REMEMBER SHOULD YOU DELETE IT, that's one reason why this world is in the mess we're in now. WE JUST SIT BACK & LET IT HAPPEN!!
I know, this isn't my usual post, but I liked it so much that I wanted to share it with you. Many thanks to Jean Cameron for sharing!!! Gary
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1/3/13
Pray if you want to!
Bible Reading, Jan. 3
Jan.
3
Genesis
3
Gen
3:1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field
which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, "Has God really
said, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?' "
Gen
3:2 The woman said to the serpent, "Of the fruit of the trees
of the garden we may eat,
Gen
3:3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the
garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat of it, neither shall you
touch it, lest you die.' "
Gen
3:4 The serpent said to the woman, "You won't surely die,
Gen
3:5 for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be
opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Gen
3:6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it
was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to
make one wise, she took of its fruit, and ate; and she gave some to
her husband with her, and he ate.
Gen
3:7 The eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they
were naked. They sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves
aprons.
Gen
3:8 They heard the voice of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the
cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the
presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden.
Gen
3:9 Yahweh God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are
you?"
Gen
3:10 The man said, "I heard your voice in the garden, and I was
afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself."
Gen
3:11 God said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you
eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"
Gen
3:12 The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she
gave me of the tree, and I ate."
Gen
3:13 Yahweh God said to the woman, "What is this you have
done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I
ate."
Gen
3:14 Yahweh God said to the serpent, "Because you have done
this, cursed are you above all livestock, and above every animal of
the field. On your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the
days of your life.
Gen
3:15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your
offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will
bruise his heel."
Gen
3:16 To the woman he said, "I will greatly multiply your pain
in childbirth. In pain you will bring forth children. Your desire
will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."
Gen
3:17 To Adam he said, "Because you have listened to your wife's
voice, and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying,
'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground for your sake. In
toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.
Gen
3:18 Thorns also and thistles will it bring forth to you; and you
will eat the herb of the field.
Gen
3:19 By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return
to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to
dust you shall return."
Gen
3:20 The man called his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all
living.
Gen
3:21 Yahweh God made coats of skins for Adam and for his wife, and
clothed them.
Gen
3:22 Yahweh God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of
us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he put forth his hand, and also
take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever..."
Gen
3:23 Therefore Yahweh God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to
till the ground from which he was taken.
Gen
3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed Cherubs at the east of
the garden of Eden, and the flame of a sword which turned every way,
to guard the way to the tree of life.
Jan. 3,4
Matthew 2
Mat 2:1 Now when Jesus
was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold,
wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,
Mat 2:2 "Where is
he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and
have come to worship him."
Mat 2:3 When Herod the
king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Mat 2:4 Gathering
together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked
them where the Christ would be born.
Mat 2:5 They said to
him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written through the
prophet,
Mat 2:6 'You Bethlehem,
land of Judah, are in no way least among the princes of Judah: for
out of you shall come forth a governor, who shall shepherd my people,
Israel.' "
Mat 2:7 Then Herod
secretly called the wise men, and learned from them exactly what time
the star appeared.
Mat 2:8 He sent them to
Bethlehem, and said, "Go and search diligently for the young
child. When you have found him, bring me word, so that I also may
come and worship him."
Mat 2:9 They, having
heard the king, went their way; and behold, the star, which they saw
in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the
young child was.
Mat 2:10 When they saw
the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
Mat 2:11 They came into
the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they
fell down and worshiped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to
him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Mat 2:12 Being warned
in a dream that they shouldn't return to Herod, they went back to
their own country another way.
Mat 2:13 Now when they
had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a
dream, saying, "Arise and take the young child and his mother,
and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will
seek the young child to destroy him."
Mat 2:14 He arose and
took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into
Egypt,
Mat 2:15 and was there
until the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken
by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called
my son."
Mat 2:16 Then Herod,
when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly
angry, and sent out, and killed all the male children who were in
Bethlehem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two years old
and under, according to the exact time which he had learned from the
wise men.
Mat 2:17 Then that
which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying,
Mat 2:18 "A voice
was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping and great mourning, Rachel
weeping for her children; she wouldn't be comforted, because they are
no more."
Mat 2:19 But when Herod
was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph
in Egypt, saying,
Mat 2:20 "Arise
and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of
Israel, for those who sought the young child's life are dead."
Mat 2:21 He arose and
took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of
Israel.
Mat 2:22 But when he
heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in the place of his
father, Herod, he was afraid to go there. Being warned in a dream, he
withdrew into the region of Galilee,
Mat 2:23 and came and
lived in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."
Ecclesiastes, Wisdom to Endure Life's Vanities, Mark Copeland
"THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES" Wisdom To Endure Life's Vanities - I (8:1-9:18) INTRODUCTION 1. The Preacher (Solomon, 1:1) has been sharing with us counsel for dealing with life... a. Counsel gleaned from his own search for meaning - 7:27 b. Counsel guided by wisdom given him by God - cf. 1:16; 1Ki 3:12; 4:30 2. In previous lessons we have noted that the Preacher offfered... a. Counsel For Better Living - 7:1-14 b. Counsel For Balanced Living - 7:15-29 -- Helpful to taking a proactive approach to improving one's sojourn "under the sun" 3. Yet no matter what we do, there are things... a. We cannot change b. We cannot escape -- Things which certainly add to the vanity of life "under the sun" 4. Two such things are "death and taxes"; in other words... a. We cannot escape the inevitability of death b. We must endure the governments of men [Wisdom can help, however (8:1), and so as the Preacher continues, he shares "Wisdom To Endure Life's Vanities". Beginning with...] I. ENDURING THE GOVERNMENTS OF MEN A. SUBMIT TO AUTHORITIES FOR GOD'S SAKE... 1. Obey the king's command - 8:2-3 2. Respect his power, and you will be unharmed - 8:4-5a 3. A wise man will understand that judgment will come in it's own time, so don't resort to wickedness (i.e., rebellion) to alleviate misery - 8:5b-9 -- Compare this counsel with that given to Christians - Ro 13: 1-7; 1Pe 2:11-17 B. ANTICIPATE WICKED RULERS... 1. There will be times when men rule to their own detriment - 8:9 2. But they will soon be forgotten after their demise - 8:10 3. Why do some persist in their evil rule? Because their judgment does not occur immediately - 8:11 4. Even so, it is still better to fear God - 8:12-13 C. EXPECT TO BE PERPLEXED... 1. Sometimes the righteous suffer, and the wicked prosper - 8:14 2. One cannot always understand why things happen the way they do (remember Job?) - 8:16-17 D. ENJOY LIFE... 1. Delight in the fruits of your own labor - 8:15 2. Which is the advice given throughout this book - 2:24-26; 3:12-13; 5:18-20 [There is little value in getting all worked up about the inequities in the governments of men. As long as there are imperfect men, there will be imperfect governments. It is better to simply obey the laws, do good, trust in God, and enjoy the fruits of one's labor. In chapter nine, we find wisdom for...] II. ENDURING THE INEVITABILITY OF DEATH A. DEATH HAPPENS TO ALL... 1. It happens to both the righteous and the wicked - 9:1-3 a. While the righteous are in God's hands b. And the sons of men are full of evil 2. While we live, there is hope (9:4); when we die... a. We know nothing of what goes on here on earth - 9:5a,6 b. Others' memory of us soon fades - 9:5 -- We cannot escape death B. ENJOY LIFE... 1. While death is inevitable, we should still enjoy life - 9:7-8 2. Live joyfully with the wife God has given you - 9:9 3. Work diligently while you are here - 9:10 -- While we cannot escape death, there is no reason to give up on life! C. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED... 1. Time and chance happens to all - 9:11 a. Being swift and strong does not mean you will always win b. Being wise, understanding, and skillful does not always ensure that you will be fed, rich, and the recipients of good favor 2. Sometimes death will come unexpectedly, like animals caught in a trap - 9:12 -- Anticipating the unexpected, we are less likely to be overwhelmed when it occurs D. APPRECIATE THE VALUE OF WISDOM... 1. The Preacher saw how wisdom saved a city - 9:13-15 a. Even though found in a poor man b. Even though the man was soon forgotten 2. Therefore he praises the value of wisdom - 9:16-18 a. As better than strength b. As better than weapons of war -- Though often despised when it comes from a poor man, wisdom spoken quietly is better than the shout of a ruler of fools CONCLUSION 1. We may not be able to escape all of life's vanities... a. There may be times we find ourselves under wicked governments b. Unless the Lord returns in our lifetime, death is inevitable 2. But we can endure life's vanities with the aid of the Preacher's wisdom... a. Enduring the governments of men by: 1) Submitting to authorities for God's sake 2) Understanding that wicked rulers will occur 3) Expecting to be perplexed at times 4) Enjoying our life as God gives us opportunity b. Enduring the inevitability of death by: 1) Remembering that death happens to all 2) Enjoying family and work 3) Expecting the unexpected 4) Utilizing wisdom that is available to us In our next study, we shall consider more from the Preacher on the value of wisdom and diligence in enduring life's vanities. In the meantime, let's not forget that we have another "Preacher" who has established the perfect kingdom, and delivered us from the fear of death: Jesus Christ!
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