“A lie told often enough becomes the truth.” 

 

(Vladimir Lenin)

 

 

 Photo:  http://www.istockphoto.com/photo/dog-in-car-gm654449358-123201045

 

 However, the person who continues to study God’s perfect laws that make people free and who remains committed to them will be blessed. People like that don’t merely listen and forget; they actually do what God’s laws say.

(James 1:25 -- GW)

If we live, we honor the Lord, and if we die, we honor the Lord.  So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.  For this reason Christ died and came back to life so that he would be the Lord of both the living and the dead.
(Romans 14:8-9 -- GW)

So he went with them.  They came to the Jordan River and began to cut down trees. ⁵ As one of them was cutting down a tree, the ax head fell into the water.  He cried out, “Oh no, master! It was borrowed!”
⁶ The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?”  When he showed Elisha the place, Elisha cut off a piece of wood.  He threw it into the water at that place and made the ax head float. ⁷ Elisha said, “Pick it up.”  The disciple reached for it and picked it up.

(2 Kings 6:4-7 -- GW)

My mom died yesterday.  We saw this pink rainbow after sunset. 
She's having a happy Monday today
. . .

I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel.
(Ezekiel 34:14a -- NASB)

Photo:  http://www.istockphoto.com/photo/grazing-beef-cattle-gm800427216-129843907

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

(Psalm 34:18 -- ESV)

“When the Son of Man comes again, it will be exactly like the days of Noah. ³⁸ In the days before the flood, people were eating, drinking, and getting married until the day that Noah went into the ship. ³⁹ They were not aware of what was happening until the flood came and swept all of them away.  That is how it will be when the Son of Man comes again.
⁴⁰ “At that time two men will be working in the field.  One will be taken, and the other one will be left. ⁴¹ Two women will be working at a mill.  One will be taken, and the other one will be left.
(Matthew 24:37-41 -- GW)

Then the angel said to me, “Write this:  Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”  And he added, “These are the true words of God.”
(Revelation 19:9 -- NIV)

Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpII12_QXsc

I am the living bread that came from heaven.  Whoever eats this bread will live forever.  The bread I will give to bring life to the world is my flesh.

(John 6:51 -- GW)

By 382 there were numerous Latin translations of the Bible, so Pope Damasus I requested that his secretary, Jerome, revise the Latin Bible based on the Greek manuscripts.   Unfortunately, Jerome mistranslated some key Greek words.

Repent - Metanoio

The original Greek word meant “to change one’s mind,” that is, to have regret and sorrow over past actions.  This

repentance is brought about by God’s Law, which exposes our sins and our need for a Savior.  The Gospel then comes in and shows us the merits of Jesus Christ, assuring us that for His sake all the guilt and penalty of our sins has been paid in full.  That is why Matthew summarized Jesus’ message [from John the Baptist] in the words, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”
(Matthew 3:2).
 

(from Lutheran Hour Ministries . . . http://www.spvc.org/hp_wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/martin2_guide-2.pdf  -- page 13)
 
 

Note:  See also Luke 13:3, Matthew 3:8, Matthew 11:20, and Romans 2:4)

 

Then Samson called to the Lord, “Almighty Lord, please remember me!  God, give me strength just one more time!  Let me get even with the Philistines for at least one of my two eyes.” ²⁹ Samson felt the two middle columns on which the building stood.  With his right hand on one column and his left on the other, he pushed hard against them. ³⁰ “Let me die with the Philistines,” he said.  With that, he pushed with all his might, and the building fell on the rulers and everyone in it.  So he killed more Philistines when he died than he had when he was alive.

(Judges 16:28-30 -- GW)

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

(Isaiah 30:21 -- NIV)

The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,and all of them are righteous. ¹⁰ They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. ¹¹ By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
(Psalm 19:9-11 -- NIV)

Open now the crystal fountain,
where the healing waters flow.
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
ever be my strength and shield,
ever be my strength and shield.
(William Williams)

I passed on to you the most important points of doctrine that I had received:  Christ died to take away our sins as the Scriptures predicted.
⁴ He was placed in a tomb.  He was brought back to life on the third day as the Scriptures predicted.
⁵ He appeared to Cephas.
Next he appeared to the twelve apostles. ⁶ Then he appeared to more than 500 believers at one time. (Most of these people are still living, but some have died.) ⁷ Next he appeared to James.  Then he appeared to all the apostles. ⁸ Last of all, he also appeared to me.  I’m like an aborted child who was given life.

(1 Corinthians 15:3-8 -- GW)

A bird does not sing because he has an answer.  He sings because he has a song. 
(Joan Walsh Anglund)

I will put my rainbow in the clouds to be a sign of my promise to the earth. ¹⁴ Whenever I form clouds over the earth, a rainbow will appear in the clouds. ¹⁵ Then I will remember my promise to you and every living animal.  Never again will water become a flood to destroy all life.

(Genesis 9:13-15 -- GW)

All go to one place.  All are from the dust, and to dust all return.
(Ecclesiastes 3:20 -- ESV)

You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

⁸ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. ⁹ Their worship of me is pointless, 
because their teachings are rules made by humans.’”

(Matthew 15:7-9 -- GW)

 

 

How many are your works, Lord!  In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
(Psalm 104:24 -- NIV)

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We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing.  Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming.

(Hebrews 10:25 -- GW)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

(John 3:16-17 -- ESV)




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So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

(1 Corinthians 10:31 -- GW)

Better to meet a bear robbed of its cubs than a fool carried away with his stupidity.
(Proverbs 17:12 -- GW)

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

(Romans 5:3-5 -- ESV)

Happy Pentecost . . .

In every way we’re troubled, but we aren’t crushed by our troubles.  We’re frustrated, but we don’t give up.

 

(2 Corinthians 4:8 – GW)

 

 

Get rid of your bitterness, hot tempers, anger, loud quarreling, cursing, and hatred. ³² Be kind to each other, sympathetic, forgiving each other as God has forgiven you through Christ.
(Ephesians 4:31-32 -- GW)

You are my friends if you obey my commandments.
(John 15:14 -- GW)