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For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, (1 Tim. 2:5) There is no way to adequately explain priesthood without reference to mediation. A priest is a mediator between God and Man. From time to time over the years, I have had the verse from 1 Timothy pointed out to me with the argument that there cannot be any mediator other than Christ, and, thus, there cannot be any such thing as a “priest” within the Church. Sometimes the argument becomes even more pointed: I do not need to go to a...

And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.( Luke 11:1)I really want to give you, my dear readers, the best possible teaching on the most practicable and usable subject…prayer. How we need prayer! We need to develop a steady communion with God in these last days. There are so many soul deadening distractions, and so much to clutter and even to crowd out the inner life. There is so much more temporal gratification...

SATURDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER JOHN 14:7-14 Friends in today’s Gospel Jesus says, "Whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it." When we pray in the name of Jesus, we are relying on his intimacy with the Father, trusting that the Father will listen to his Son who pleads on our behalf. In the letter to the Hebrews, we hear that Jesus, like us in all things but sin, a fellow sufferer with us, has entered...

The UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi has apologised to the Syrian people after peace talks in Geneva ended without making progress. He had held final discussions with both sides in Geneva in a last-ditch bid to break the stalemate between the Syrian government and opposition. Mr Brahimi said a key sticking point was the government's refusal to talk about a transitional governing body. No date has been set for a third round of talks. The UK and France have blamed President Assad's government for the failure of the talks. The conflict in Syria has claimed more than 100,000 lives since March...

The US State Department has floated a trial balloon to test the idea of former US Ambassador to Israel, Martin Indyk, serving as mediator in the forthcoming peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. (Editor’s note: at the time of publication the State Department had in fact confirmed that Indyk would serve in the said capacity.) It is not surprising that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has signaled his approval. What is incomprehensible is that Prime Minister Netanyahu has done likewise. Unfortunately the prospect of genuine progress in the negotiations is extraordinarily slim. There is no evidence that the Palestinian...

Leadership: As unrest over freedom's end grows in Venezuela, out comes Jimmy Carter's Center, expressing "concern." That's rich. Carter played a leading role in trashing the press there, making dictatorship possible. Jimmy Carter often wins praise as an international mediator, but it was precisely his mediation in two events in August 2004 that led to the turmoil now seen across Venezuela. Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have taken to the streets crying "freedom" for two reasons: they're ruled by a dictator who's gathering absolute power, and they can't even complain because he's effectively ended free speech. On May 27, dictator...

1 John 2:1-2 (1) My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (2) And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world. Go to this verse on Bible Tools Propitiation is "an appeasing force." The law spells out the perpetual requirements of obedience to God, and blood pays for sin.God desires sacrifice and obedience, not a religious game. It must be emphasized that our obedience...

Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr appears to be playing both agitator and mediator in the sudden surge of internecine fighting that broke out on 24 August between rival Shi'ite groups in Al-Najaf and subsequently spread to eight cities across Iraq. As al-Sadr publicly appealed for calm on 25 August, many began to question the apparent coordinated attacks that left the cleric's militia, the Imam Al-Mahdi Army, battling with police and militias supporting the two main Shi'ite political parties -- the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) and the Islamic Al-Da'wah Party. Al-Sadr and his supporters were reportedly...

Libyan dictator Col. Moammar Gadhafi has offered to mediate between President Bush and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to avoid what he thinks would be an irrational war. Gadhafi offered his services while speaking to reporters attending a summit of the African Union in Addis Ababa, reports Britain's Sky News. Libyan President Col. Moammar Gadhafi (Courtesy: Sky News) "I wish I could have the opportunity to talk to these two persons, to address them, President Bush and Saddam Hussein," Gadhafi said. "I would like to save international peace." The Libyan leader also has been working behind the scenes to persuade Hussein...

The principal subject in the verses which are to be before us is the same as that which has engaged the apostle throughout this 7th chapter, namely, the pre-eminent excellency of the great High Priest of Christianity. That which he is setting forth is the superiority of our Lord’s High Priesthood over that of the Levitical. The various proofs may be expressed thus. First, because Christ is called of God after the order of Melchizedek, Hebrews 5:10. In enlarging upon the fact, here in chapter 7, the apostle did three things: evidenced the superiority of Melchizedek over the order of...