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September 7, 2014 Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Ez 33:7-9 Thus says the LORD:You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel;when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me.If I tell the wicked, “O wicked one, you shall surely die, ”and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way,the wicked shall die for his guilt,but I will hold you responsible for his death.But if you warn the wicked,trying to turn him from his way,and he refuses to turn from his way,he shall die for...

The Far-Reaching Rivers of Life " He who believes in Me . . . out of his heart will flow rivers of living water —John 7:38 " A river reaches places which its source never knows. And Jesus said that, if we have received His fullness, “rivers of living water” will flow out of us, reaching in blessing even “to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8) regardless of how small the visible effects of our lives may appear to be. We have nothing to do with the outflow— “This is the work of God, that you believe. ....

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem Jobs In The Bible Ambassador New International Version (NIV) 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.(2 Corinthians 5:20) The Following is from "Smith's Bible Dictionary, 1901, and has some good cross-references for the Job of "Ambassador": Ambassador, [E] a person of high rank employed by a government to represent it and transact its business at the seat of government of some other power. The earliest examples of ambassadors employed occur in ( Numbers 20:14 ; 21:21...

September 6, 2014Saturday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 1 Cor 4:6b-15 Brothers and sisters:Learn from myself and Apollos not to go beyond what is written,so that none of you will be inflated with pridein favor of one person over against another.Who confers distinction upon you?What do you possess that you have not received?But if you have received it,why are you boasting as if you did not receive it?You are already satisfied; you have already grown rich;you have become kings without us!Indeed, I wish that you had become kings,so that we also might become kings...

Watching With Jesus " Stay here and watch with Me —Matthew 26:38 " Watch with Me.” Jesus was saying, in effect, “Watch with no private point of view at all, but watch solely and entirely with Me.” In the early stages of our Christian life, we do not watch with Jesus, we watch for Him. We do not watch with Him through the revealed truth of the Bible even in the circumstances of our own lives. Our Lord is trying to introduce us to identification with Himself through a particular “Gethsemane” experience of our own. But we refuse to...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem Animals In The Bible Wolf New International Version (NIV) 6 The wolf will live with the lamb,     the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together;     and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear,     their young will lie down together,     and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den,     and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. 9 They will neither harm nor destroy     on all my holy mountain,...

September 5, 2014Friday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 1 Cor 4:1-5 Brothers and sisters:Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christand stewards of the mysteries of God. Now it is of course required of stewardsthat they be found trustworthy.It does not concern me in the leastthat I be judged by you or any human tribunal;I do not even pass judgment on myself;I am not conscious of anything against me,but I do not thereby stand acquitted;the one who judges me is the Lord.Therefore, do not make any judgment before the appointed time,until the Lord...

Pray For Our American Heroes and Our Nation 75 years ago, on September 3, 1939 [reference: Britain and France declare war on Germany — History.com This Day in History — 9/3/1939] You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Matthew 24:6 (NIV) ----

His! " They were Yours, You gave them to Me . . . —John 17:6 " A missionary is someone in whom the Holy Spirit has brought about this realization: “You are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19). To say, “I am not my own,” is to have reached a high point in my spiritual stature. The true nature of that life in actual everyday confusion is evidenced by the deliberate giving up of myself to another Person through a sovereign decision, and that Person is Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit interprets and explains the nature of Jesus to...

I have a prayer request. I am having cancer surgery on Sept 16. Less than two weeks away. I'm having a mastectomy, with reconstruction. It all gets done (or at least started) on the table. Please pray for my fear, which is usually at the manageable level. And that I make it through surgery. I'll be in the hospital for one day. I opted to stay with my surgical oncologist that operated on me two years ago (cancer then too) for many reasons, one being he's THE breast cancer surgeon in Middle GA. Trouble is, after I was diagnosed, I've...

Pray For Our American Heroes and Our Nation John 14:6 Stand Firm New International Version (NIV) 26 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem Animals In The Bible Viper New International Version (NIV) 6 A prophecy concerning the animals of the Negev: Through a land of hardship and distress,     of lions and lionesses,     of adders and darting snakes, the envoys carry their riches on donkeys’ backs,     their treasures on the humps of camels, to that unprofitable nation, (Isaiah 30:6) 31 Do not gaze at wine when it is red,     when it sparkles in the cup,     when it goes down smoothly! 32 In the end it bites like a snake     and poisons like a viper. 33 Your eyes will see strange sights,...

September 4, 2014Thursday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 1 Cor 3:18-23 Brothers and sisters:Let no one deceive himself.If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age,let him become a fool, so as to become wise.For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God,for it is written: God catches the wise in their own ruses, and again: The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you,Paul or Apollos or Cephas,or the world or life...

Pouring Out the Water of Satisfaction " He would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord —2 Samuel 23:16 " What has been like “water from the well of Bethlehem” to you recently— love, friendship, or maybe some spiritual blessing ( 2 Samuel 23:16 )? Have you taken whatever it may be, even at the risk of damaging your own soul, simply to satisfy yourself? If you have, then you cannot pour it out “to the Lord.” You can never set apart for God something that you desire for yourself to achieve your own satisfaction. If...

A member of Venezuela's Socialist Party has rolled out a variation of the classic Christian "Lord's Prayer" to implore beloved late leader Hugo Chavez for protection from the evils of capitalism. "Our Chavez who art in heaven, the earth, the sea and we delegates," red-shirted delegate Maria Estrella Uribe recited yesterday at the PSUV party Congress. "Hallowed be your name, may your legacy come to us so we can spread it to people here and elsewhere. Give us your light to guide us every day," she said in front of an image of Chavez. "Lead us not into the temptation...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem Animals In The Bible Spider New International Version (NIV) They hatch the eggs of vipers    and spin a spider’s web.Whoever eats their eggs will die,    and when one is broken, an adder is hatched.(Isaiah 59:5)

CARACAS (Reuters) - A member of Venezuela's Socialist Party has rolled out a variation of the classic Christian "Lord's Prayer" to implore beloved late leader Hugo Chavez for protection from the evils of capitalism. "Our Chavez who art in heaven, the earth, the sea and we delegates," red-shirted delegate Maria Estrella Uribe recited on Monday at the PSUV party Congress. "Hallowed be your name, may your legacy come to us so we can spread it to people here and elsewhere. Give us your light to guide us every day," she said in front of an image of Chavez. "Lead us...

September 3, 2014Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church Reading 1 1 Cor 3:1-9 Brothers and sisters, I could not talk to you as spiritual people,but as fleshly people, as infants in Christ.I fed you milk, not solid food,because you were unable to take it.Indeed, you are still not able, even now,for you are still of the flesh.While there is jealousy and rivalry among you,are you not of the flesh, and walking according to the manner of man?Whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another,“I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely men?...

A Life of Pure and Holy Sacrifice " He who believes in Me . . . out of his heart will flow . . . —John 7:38 " Jesus did not say, “He who believes in Me will realize all the blessings of the fullness of God,” but, in essence, “He who believes in Me will have everything he receives escape out of him.” Our Lord’s teaching was always anti-self-realization. His purpose is not the development of a person— His purpose is to make a person exactly like Himself, and the Son of God is characterized by self-expenditure. If...