“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷ and do not give the devil a foothold.

(Ephesians 4:26-27 -- NIV)

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service of the United States of America.
(from usmemorialday.org)

Those who walk uprightly
enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.
(Isaiah 57:2 -- NIV)

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.
(1 Peter 3:18 --NIV)

Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

(James 4:7-8 -- NIV)

Thomas Jefferson re-started the U.S. Navy to fight Muslim terrorists (pirates or corsairs) off the Barbary coast of northern Africa.  He wrote at the time, "It was written in their Koran, that all nations which had not acknowledged the Prophet were sinners, whom it was the right and duty of the faithful to plunder and enslave; and that every Mussulman (Muslim) who was slain in this warfare was sure to go to paradise."

Neither give place to the devil.

(Ephesians 4:27 -- KJV)

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.  Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Ephesians 5:18-20 -- NIV)

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples."

(John 8:31 -- NIV)

 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴ The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵ For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
(2 Corinthians 4:3-5 -- NIV)

At noon Elijah began to taunt them.  “Shout louder!” he said.  “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling.  Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” 

(1 Kings 18:27 -- NIV)

Like a roaring lion or a charging bear 
is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.
(Proverbs 28:15 -- NIV)

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.  Amen.
(Matthew 28:20 -- KJV)

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
(Genesis 1:1 -- NIV)

For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. ¹⁸ The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. ¹⁹ They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. ²⁰ The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits.  ²¹ Every living thing that moved on land perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. ²² Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. ²³ Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. ²⁴ The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.
(Genesis 7:17-24 -- NIV)

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”



(Matthew 18:19-20 -- NIV)

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

(Psalm 23 -- NIV)

 

 

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.
(Joel 2:28 -- NIV)

In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. 
Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
(Acts 2:17 -- NIV)

We found the full-size Noah's Ark under construction between
Cincinnati and Lexington, KY  (https://arkencounter.com/). 

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Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence. ¹² And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. ¹³ And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them.  Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. ¹⁴ Make yourself an ark of gopher wood.  Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. ¹⁵ This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. ¹⁶ Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side.  Make it with lower, second, and third decks. ¹⁷ For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven.  Everything that is on the earth shall die. ¹⁸ But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you. ¹⁹ And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you.  They shall be male and female. ²⁰ Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive. ²¹ Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up.  It shall serve as food for you and for them.” ²² Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.
(Genesis 6:11-22 -- NIV)

From there Elisha went up to Bethel.  As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” ²⁴ He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord.  Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. ²⁵ And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria.

(2 Kings 2:23-25 -- NIV)

But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage.
(Ezra 9:8 -- NIV)

Lord, the God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant.  Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence.
(Ezra 9:15 -- NIV)

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
(Galatians 2:20 -- NIV)

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“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
(John 16:33 -- NIV)

There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him:  ¹⁷ haughty eyes, a lying tongue, 
hands that shed innocent blood, ¹⁸ a heart that devises wicked schemes, 
feet that are quick to rush into evil, ¹⁹ a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

(Proverbs 6:16-19 -- NIV)

But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays.  And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.

(Malachi 4:2 -- NIV)

Happy Mother's Day . . .

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

(Matthew 4:19 -- NIV)

The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.

(Proverbs 3:33 -- NIV)

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
⁷ He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
⁹ After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
¹⁰ They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ¹¹ “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky?  This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

(Acts 1:6-11 -- NIV)

When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. ¹⁰ Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, ¹¹ or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. ¹² Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. ¹³ You must be blameless before the Lord your God.¹⁴ The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination.  But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so.

(Deuteronomy 18:9-14 -- NIV)

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

(Jeremiah 29:11 -- NIV)

Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.

(Proverbs 13:11 -- ESV)

 

Happy May Day!