I thank God, again, for planting me in a church which instructs us to research the Word for ourselves and, through prayer, seek understanding.
This morning I watched a TV minister give quite a sermon on the wrongness of wearing jewelry and other adornments. He stopped short of calling wearing jewelry a sin, but stated strongly that the scripture stated it was not the right thing for a Christian to do. He advocated neat and plain dress versus “flashy” clothing.
He based his teaching on two scriptures.
The first is 1 Pet 3:3 which reads,
“Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel…”
The second and very similar verse is 1 Tim 2:9 that says,
“In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array…”
This reminded me of the fact that whole sects are founded on one or two scriptures and a limited view of our Lord is the driving force in the lives of millions.
We are taught at The Tabernacle to prayerfully go to the Word for answers, so, as soon as that program ended, I went to my trusty computer and typed in “jewelry and the bible” and many citations appeared.
We are also taught that we need to know WHO wrote the scripture, to WHOM it was written and WHY or the circumstances under which it was written.
I’d like to share with you just one site and a few of the notes made and invite you to do your own research on this issue and post comments.
http://www.actseighteen.com/articles/jewelry-bible.htm
The following is a brief exerpt of that site.
One of the first passages in the Bible to deal with jewelry is Gen 24:47, 48 which reads,
“And I asked her, and said, whose daughter art thou? And she said, the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands. And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son.”
Here we have a rather tender story of Abraham's servant giving jewelry to Rebekah, who was the woman God had specially chosen for Isaac. The servant then bows his head and worships God. If jewelry were sinful, his offering it as a gift to Rebekah, and then subsequently worshipping God, would be irreverent and inappropriate.
We find another such example in Gen 41:42, which says,
“And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck...”
Joseph was one of the greatest men of the Old Testament, and God blessed him greatly because of his faithfulness. In this verse, we find Joseph accepting jewelry as a gift from Pharaoh. If God forbade jewelry, undoubtedly, Joseph would have rejected this gift.
David, the man said to be after God’s own heart,1 writes in Ps 25:12,
“As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.”
David compares gold earrings to the way an obedient ear accepts wise instruction. Surely if jewelry were a sin, David would never have made a comparison between wise behavior and something that is sinful.
The prophet Isaiah wrote in Isa 61:10,
“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”
Isaiah compares righteousness and salvation to a bride and bridegroom who adorn themselves with jewelry. Would Isaiah compare a sinful activity to the salvation and righteousness of God?
God, through Jeremiah, speaks of jewelry in this way:
“Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number.” (Jer 2:32)
God compares forgetting about him to a maid who forgets her jewelry. Again, if jewelry were sinful, God would never have made such a comparison.
Now, I offer only an invitation for all of us to look deeper into ANY blanket statements we hear about the will of God in our lives. And, I thank God, again, for planting me in a place which encourages this deeper look.
May God be a blessing in your life.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
The Love of God now and forever
“Write about how God loves us now and forever” This was the topic picked by my eight year old grandson, so, here goes.
The scriptures are clear about the awesome love of God.
His love for us
"God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:16
"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." Romans 5:8-10
"Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:37-39
His love in us
"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:5-8
"...that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory..." Ephesians 3:17-21
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
His love through us
"...that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head -- Christ...." Ephesians 4:14-15
"And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:32
What is even more awesome is how little He asks in return.
28One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:28-31
“I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
“...if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ... But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.
“...And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?" Luke 6:27-41
I know that I am truly blessed. Among my most treasured blessings is the gift of grandchildren.
May God always be a blessing in your life!!
The scriptures are clear about the awesome love of God.
His love for us
"God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:16
"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." Romans 5:8-10
"Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:37-39
His love in us
"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:5-8
"...that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory..." Ephesians 3:17-21
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
His love through us
"...that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head -- Christ...." Ephesians 4:14-15
"And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:32
What is even more awesome is how little He asks in return.
28One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:28-31
“I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
“...if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ... But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.
“...And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?" Luke 6:27-41
I know that I am truly blessed. Among my most treasured blessings is the gift of grandchildren.
May God always be a blessing in your life!!
Friday, February 26, 2010
The Power of God
The Power of God
Joshua 6:1-5 (New International Version)
1 Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
2 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.
3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days.
4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets.
5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in."
Many of us when we pray are actually giving God instructions about what we want Him to do in our lives and, sometimes, explicitly how we expect Him to do it. It is difficult sometimes to sincerely pray “Thou will be done”.
I recently had a serious plumbing problem that made it difficult to live in the house. I put the plumbing problem at the top of my prayer list because it was a very stressful issue.
As I waited for an answer from God about the way I was going to address a $3,000 estimate I had received, I fantasized about the ways He could address the problem.
I envisioned someone calling me with a job that would earn me the needed funds and I started to look for an opportunity to do some consulting/training work.
Suddenly the problem got worse, not better.
I asked God, simply, please fix this for me. I then called a handyman service that I hadn’t even been especially pleased with in the past because they were the ones who could get there quickest.
They solved my plumbing problem for a total cost of $125 and a little effort on my part.
Today I was studying about ministering to children and was led to a study about Jericho. I smiled inwardly when I thought about my puny plumbing problem when compared to the wonders God performed at Jericho.
Many of us at our church speak of the fact that we are “works in progress”. I know that my prayer life is a work in progress and I strive continuously to pray “Thou will be done”.
May God be a blessing in your life!!!
Joshua 6:1-5 (New International Version)
1 Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
2 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.
3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days.
4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets.
5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in."
Many of us when we pray are actually giving God instructions about what we want Him to do in our lives and, sometimes, explicitly how we expect Him to do it. It is difficult sometimes to sincerely pray “Thou will be done”.
I recently had a serious plumbing problem that made it difficult to live in the house. I put the plumbing problem at the top of my prayer list because it was a very stressful issue.
As I waited for an answer from God about the way I was going to address a $3,000 estimate I had received, I fantasized about the ways He could address the problem.
I envisioned someone calling me with a job that would earn me the needed funds and I started to look for an opportunity to do some consulting/training work.
Suddenly the problem got worse, not better.
I asked God, simply, please fix this for me. I then called a handyman service that I hadn’t even been especially pleased with in the past because they were the ones who could get there quickest.
They solved my plumbing problem for a total cost of $125 and a little effort on my part.
Today I was studying about ministering to children and was led to a study about Jericho. I smiled inwardly when I thought about my puny plumbing problem when compared to the wonders God performed at Jericho.
Many of us at our church speak of the fact that we are “works in progress”. I know that my prayer life is a work in progress and I strive continuously to pray “Thou will be done”.
May God be a blessing in your life!!!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Children and the Bible
2 Timothy 3:14-15 Holy Bible NIV
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,
15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
Having a child in the house provides a wonderful opportunity to apply scripture to our everyday lives. In our family a part of introducing all of the children to the scriptures and social graces included using the DVD’s Veggi-tales and Thomas The Train. These are wonderful series which use vegetable characters to teach bible principles and train characters to explore social graces.
If you chose to use these series or others like them you have to watch them with the children. The series use concepts familiar to the child and this gives you the opportunity to discuss the differences in actual scripture and to add specific family rules and traditions. It is also helpful if the child has his own, age appropriate bible.
This all came to mind because my eight year old grandson is visiting and between sessions on the Wii he plays his favorite videos.
As we watched “Little Joe”, a westernized story of Joseph, I realized how much my grandson had absorbed over the years about the story of Joseph and how relevant his questions about the story had become. All of this without one bit of preaching or formal teaching.
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation– if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.1 Peter 2:2-3 ESV
My now 18 year old granddaughter reminded me…”I might not always do what you say, but I always remember what you say.”
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.Deuteronomy 6:7 ESV
We are admonished by scripture to teach the children. I think we are fortunate in this day and age that there are so many different formats for teaching and that each of us can find a style that fits us.
My God be a blessing in your life.
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,
15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
Having a child in the house provides a wonderful opportunity to apply scripture to our everyday lives. In our family a part of introducing all of the children to the scriptures and social graces included using the DVD’s Veggi-tales and Thomas The Train. These are wonderful series which use vegetable characters to teach bible principles and train characters to explore social graces.
If you chose to use these series or others like them you have to watch them with the children. The series use concepts familiar to the child and this gives you the opportunity to discuss the differences in actual scripture and to add specific family rules and traditions. It is also helpful if the child has his own, age appropriate bible.
This all came to mind because my eight year old grandson is visiting and between sessions on the Wii he plays his favorite videos.
As we watched “Little Joe”, a westernized story of Joseph, I realized how much my grandson had absorbed over the years about the story of Joseph and how relevant his questions about the story had become. All of this without one bit of preaching or formal teaching.
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation– if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.1 Peter 2:2-3 ESV
My now 18 year old granddaughter reminded me…”I might not always do what you say, but I always remember what you say.”
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.Deuteronomy 6:7 ESV
We are admonished by scripture to teach the children. I think we are fortunate in this day and age that there are so many different formats for teaching and that each of us can find a style that fits us.
My God be a blessing in your life.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
What a wonderful gift it is to be able to study the Word. Last night we were studying the period of time when Jesus was preparing His disciples for his upcoming crucifixion. What we were studying is not the subject today. The way we were studying is.
In the past I have focused on what I saw as the “discrepancies” in the Bible from one author to the next. Pastor/Teacher opened The Word and the beautiful way that each author contributed to a complete account of an event. In our quest to study to show ourselves approved, we opened our minds and hearts and the Holy Spirit enlightened us in a glorious way.
Pastor reminded us that we had heard preaching and/or teaching on some of the scriptures many times by many different teachers/preachers and that the focus of each was different. She compared this to having many witnesses at one event and asking each of them to tell what happened. Each of us would see an event differently because of many factors…our background, our particular mind set, what perceptions were strongest and other factors.
When we study the Word we remind ourselves always of the background of the author, the primary audience of the author and the events surrounding the account. These factors bring a much richer understanding of the text.
Yesterday we looked at the Beatitudes from Matthew’s perspective. Today, we will look at the same topic as seen by Luke. What is different? Let us look at the account according to Luke and excerpts from a commentary by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson.
Luke 6:20-26
[20] Looking at his disciples, he said:
"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
[21] Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
[22] Blessed are you when men hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.
[23] "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy,
because great is your reward in heaven.
For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.
[24] "But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.
[25] Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
[26] Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.
Poor vs. Rich (6:20, 24)
Hungry vs. Well-Fed (6:21a, 25a)
Weeping vs. Laughing (6:21b, 25b)
Hated vs. Praised (6:22-23, 26)
Dr. Ralph F. Wilson used as his title for his look at the Beatitudes “Blessings and Woes” (Luke 6:20-26) and his work was interesting to study. (His complete article is found at http://www.jesuswalk.com/lessons/6_20-26.htm.)
We are aptly reminded by Dr. Wilson that “The truth is that Jesus was an itinerant preacher. He often spoke for several hours per day, several days a week, to crowds in one village and then on to the next, all over Galilee and the Jordan, as well as Judea. He was teaching his hearers the basic truths of the good news of the Kingdom. Do you think he ever once repeated himself? Do you think he got up early each morning to write a brand new sermon for the day's teaching? Of course not! He spoke without notes, repeating the same truths over and over again. Certainly, with different parables and illustrations, and endless variations of them. But the same basic teaching.” This is very much in harmony with our studies.
Studying the Word from the perspective of each of the gospel writers with open hearts and minds will enrich our lives.
May God be a blessing in your life!!!
In the past I have focused on what I saw as the “discrepancies” in the Bible from one author to the next. Pastor/Teacher opened The Word and the beautiful way that each author contributed to a complete account of an event. In our quest to study to show ourselves approved, we opened our minds and hearts and the Holy Spirit enlightened us in a glorious way.
Pastor reminded us that we had heard preaching and/or teaching on some of the scriptures many times by many different teachers/preachers and that the focus of each was different. She compared this to having many witnesses at one event and asking each of them to tell what happened. Each of us would see an event differently because of many factors…our background, our particular mind set, what perceptions were strongest and other factors.
When we study the Word we remind ourselves always of the background of the author, the primary audience of the author and the events surrounding the account. These factors bring a much richer understanding of the text.
Yesterday we looked at the Beatitudes from Matthew’s perspective. Today, we will look at the same topic as seen by Luke. What is different? Let us look at the account according to Luke and excerpts from a commentary by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson.
Luke 6:20-26
[20] Looking at his disciples, he said:
"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
[21] Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
[22] Blessed are you when men hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.
[23] "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy,
because great is your reward in heaven.
For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.
[24] "But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.
[25] Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
[26] Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.
Poor vs. Rich (6:20, 24)
Hungry vs. Well-Fed (6:21a, 25a)
Weeping vs. Laughing (6:21b, 25b)
Hated vs. Praised (6:22-23, 26)
Dr. Ralph F. Wilson used as his title for his look at the Beatitudes “Blessings and Woes” (Luke 6:20-26) and his work was interesting to study. (His complete article is found at http://www.jesuswalk.com/lessons/6_20-26.htm.)
We are aptly reminded by Dr. Wilson that “The truth is that Jesus was an itinerant preacher. He often spoke for several hours per day, several days a week, to crowds in one village and then on to the next, all over Galilee and the Jordan, as well as Judea. He was teaching his hearers the basic truths of the good news of the Kingdom. Do you think he ever once repeated himself? Do you think he got up early each morning to write a brand new sermon for the day's teaching? Of course not! He spoke without notes, repeating the same truths over and over again. Certainly, with different parables and illustrations, and endless variations of them. But the same basic teaching.” This is very much in harmony with our studies.
Studying the Word from the perspective of each of the gospel writers with open hearts and minds will enrich our lives.
May God be a blessing in your life!!!
Monday, February 22, 2010
It took quite a long time for me to find a church in which to be planted, a church which was serious about the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20 King James Version)
I encourage you to be careful in your prayer life and the things you ask of God.
I admit to being lazy in many respects. One of them is in my commitment to studying as I should.
I asked for work to do in the church and my pastor gave me this job. Little did I know that my prayer for work to do in the church would commit me to both of these critical commissions.
I daily thank God for gentle reprimands for He could have reminded me of my duties in a much more dramatic way.
Today, I would like to encourage you to look at one of the beautiful promises left for us by our Lord, Jesus the Christ. We commonly refer to this gift as “The Beatitudes”.
In Christianity, the Beatitudes (from Latin beatus, meaning "blessed" or "happy")[1] are blessings from Jesus recorded in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew and the Sermon on the Plain in Luke. The blessings in Luke refer to external situations while those in Matthew refer more to spiritual or moral qualities. (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
We will look first at the beatitudes as recorded in Matthew.
THE EIGHT BEATITUDES OF JESUS
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Gospel of St. Matthew 5:3-10
Jesus Christ gave us the eight Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount, recorded for all posterity in the Gospel of Matthew, the first Book of the New Testament of the Bible. Matthew's Gospel is directed to an audience steeped in Hebrew tradition. The Gospel of Matthew stressed that Jesus Christ is the Messiah foretold in Hebrew Scripture, our Old Testament, and that the Kingdom of the Messiah is the Kingdom of God in Heaven. Jesus offers us a way of life that promises eternity in the Kingdom of Heaven.
The teachings of Christ Jesus were simple but unique and innovative at the time of his life on earth. He began teaching about 30 AD during the ruthless Roman occupation of Palestine. At the time there were four major groups in the Jewish religion, the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and the Zealots, all of whom presented a different viewpoint to the Jewish people. The Pharisees demanded strict observance of the Mosaic law expressed in the Torah, but also accepted the oral tradition of Jewish customs and rituals. The Sadducees were mainly from the priestly families and strictly accepted the Law of Moses but rejected oral tradition. The Pharisees, unlike the Sadducees, believed in the resurrection of the dead. The monastic Essenes awaited a Messiah that would establish a Kingdom on earth and free the Israelites from oppression. The Zealots were a militant Jewish group who wanted freedom for their homeland, and were centered in Galilee; one of the Twelve Apostles was Simon the Zealot.
The Ten Commandments, given to Moses on Mount Sinai in the Old Testament Book of Exodus, relates a series of "Thou shalt nots," evils one must avoid in daily life on earth.
In contrast, the message of Jesus was one of humility, charity, and brotherly love. He taught transformation of the inner person. Jesus presents the Beatitudes in a positive sense, virtues in life which will ultimately lead to reward. Love becomes the motivation for the Christian. All of the Beatitudes have an eschatological meaning, that is, they promise us salvation - not in this world, but in the next. The Beatitudes initiate one of the main themes of Matthew's Gospel, that the Kingdom so long awaited in the Old Testament is not of this world, but of the next, the Kingdom of Heaven.
While the Beatitudes of Jesus provide a way of life that promises salvation, they also provide peace in the midst of our trials and tribulations on this earth.
http://www.jesuschristsavior.net/Beatitudes.html
REFERENCES
http://www.jesuschristsavior.net/Beatitudes.html
1 The Navarre RSV Holy Bible. Four Courts Press, Dublin, Ireland, 2001-2005.
2 St. Gregory of Nyssa. The Lord's Prayer and The Beatitudes. Ancient Christian Writers, Paulist Press, Mahwah, New Jersey.
3 St. Augustine. The Lord's Sermon on the Mount. Ancient Christian Writers, Paulist Press, Mahwah, New Jersey.
4 Pope John Paul II. The Splendor of Truth, the encyclical Veritatis Splendor. Pauline Books & Media, Boston, 1993.
5 Pope Benedict XVl. Jesus of Nazareth. Doubleday, New York, 2007.
6 Brown RE, Fitzmeyer JA, Murphy RE (eds): The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1990.
7 Spielvogel JJ. Western Civilization, Sixth Edition, Thomson Wadsworth, Belmont, California, 2006.
May God always be a blessing in your life!
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.and in the scripture which exhorts
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.)
“"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a
workman that
needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth."
--2 Tim. 2:15.
I encourage you to be careful in your prayer life and the things you ask of God.
I admit to being lazy in many respects. One of them is in my commitment to studying as I should.
I asked for work to do in the church and my pastor gave me this job. Little did I know that my prayer for work to do in the church would commit me to both of these critical commissions.
I daily thank God for gentle reprimands for He could have reminded me of my duties in a much more dramatic way.
Today, I would like to encourage you to look at one of the beautiful promises left for us by our Lord, Jesus the Christ. We commonly refer to this gift as “The Beatitudes”.
In Christianity, the Beatitudes (from Latin beatus, meaning "blessed" or "happy")[1] are blessings from Jesus recorded in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew and the Sermon on the Plain in Luke. The blessings in Luke refer to external situations while those in Matthew refer more to spiritual or moral qualities. (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
We will look first at the beatitudes as recorded in Matthew.
THE EIGHT BEATITUDES OF JESUS
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Gospel of St. Matthew 5:3-10
Jesus Christ gave us the eight Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount, recorded for all posterity in the Gospel of Matthew, the first Book of the New Testament of the Bible. Matthew's Gospel is directed to an audience steeped in Hebrew tradition. The Gospel of Matthew stressed that Jesus Christ is the Messiah foretold in Hebrew Scripture, our Old Testament, and that the Kingdom of the Messiah is the Kingdom of God in Heaven. Jesus offers us a way of life that promises eternity in the Kingdom of Heaven.
The teachings of Christ Jesus were simple but unique and innovative at the time of his life on earth. He began teaching about 30 AD during the ruthless Roman occupation of Palestine. At the time there were four major groups in the Jewish religion, the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and the Zealots, all of whom presented a different viewpoint to the Jewish people. The Pharisees demanded strict observance of the Mosaic law expressed in the Torah, but also accepted the oral tradition of Jewish customs and rituals. The Sadducees were mainly from the priestly families and strictly accepted the Law of Moses but rejected oral tradition. The Pharisees, unlike the Sadducees, believed in the resurrection of the dead. The monastic Essenes awaited a Messiah that would establish a Kingdom on earth and free the Israelites from oppression. The Zealots were a militant Jewish group who wanted freedom for their homeland, and were centered in Galilee; one of the Twelve Apostles was Simon the Zealot.
The Ten Commandments, given to Moses on Mount Sinai in the Old Testament Book of Exodus, relates a series of "Thou shalt nots," evils one must avoid in daily life on earth.
In contrast, the message of Jesus was one of humility, charity, and brotherly love. He taught transformation of the inner person. Jesus presents the Beatitudes in a positive sense, virtues in life which will ultimately lead to reward. Love becomes the motivation for the Christian. All of the Beatitudes have an eschatological meaning, that is, they promise us salvation - not in this world, but in the next. The Beatitudes initiate one of the main themes of Matthew's Gospel, that the Kingdom so long awaited in the Old Testament is not of this world, but of the next, the Kingdom of Heaven.
While the Beatitudes of Jesus provide a way of life that promises salvation, they also provide peace in the midst of our trials and tribulations on this earth.
http://www.jesuschristsavior.net/Beatitudes.html
REFERENCES
http://www.jesuschristsavior.net/Beatitudes.html
1 The Navarre RSV Holy Bible. Four Courts Press, Dublin, Ireland, 2001-2005.
2 St. Gregory of Nyssa. The Lord's Prayer and The Beatitudes. Ancient Christian Writers, Paulist Press, Mahwah, New Jersey.
3 St. Augustine. The Lord's Sermon on the Mount. Ancient Christian Writers, Paulist Press, Mahwah, New Jersey.
4 Pope John Paul II. The Splendor of Truth, the encyclical Veritatis Splendor. Pauline Books & Media, Boston, 1993.
5 Pope Benedict XVl. Jesus of Nazareth. Doubleday, New York, 2007.
6 Brown RE, Fitzmeyer JA, Murphy RE (eds): The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1990.
7 Spielvogel JJ. Western Civilization, Sixth Edition, Thomson Wadsworth, Belmont, California, 2006.
May God always be a blessing in your life!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
5TH ANNUAL CHURCH BANQUET
30 Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me,
31 that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,
32 that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.
33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. (Romans 15:30-33 New King James Version)
TABERNACLE OF HIGHER LEARNING CHRISTIAN CENTER, INC.
5TH ANNUAL CHURCH BANQUET
A Church Who Prays Together Stays Together
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2010 @ 6:00 P.M.
Psalms 133:1 behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
You are invited to join us in celebration of five years of service in The Great Commission.
31 that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,
32 that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.
33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. (Romans 15:30-33 New King James Version)
TABERNACLE OF HIGHER LEARNING CHRISTIAN CENTER, INC.
5TH ANNUAL CHURCH BANQUET
A Church Who Prays Together Stays Together
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2010 @ 6:00 P.M.
Psalms 133:1 behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
You are invited to join us in celebration of five years of service in The Great Commission.
Friday, February 12, 2010
the right to come in prayer
2 Timothy 1:7 (New King James Version)
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
In prayer I daily thank God simply for the right to come in prayer as a child of God. I thank God heartily for placing me in a church which emphasizes studying the Word of God because it is within His word that I discovered that I did, indeed, have the right to come to him in prayer with the expectation that my prayers will be heard.
Mark 11:24 (King James Version)
24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
“God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:19).
Hebrews 7:25 (New King James Version)
25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 10 (New King James Version)
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,
20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,
21 and having a High Priest over the house of God,
22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
But we must always remember that with this incredible gift comes responsibility as children of God.
Mark 11:24 (King James Version)
24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Goes further to say:
25And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
It seems such a simple thing to “forgive our debtors” or “forgive those who trespass against us”. I admit that I am a work in progress in this area who is pleased to admit some progress.
May God Be a Blessing in Your Life
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
In prayer I daily thank God simply for the right to come in prayer as a child of God. I thank God heartily for placing me in a church which emphasizes studying the Word of God because it is within His word that I discovered that I did, indeed, have the right to come to him in prayer with the expectation that my prayers will be heard.
Mark 11:24 (King James Version)
24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
“God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:19).
Hebrews 7:25 (New King James Version)
25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 10 (New King James Version)
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,
20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,
21 and having a High Priest over the house of God,
22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
But we must always remember that with this incredible gift comes responsibility as children of God.
Mark 11:24 (King James Version)
24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Goes further to say:
25And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
It seems such a simple thing to “forgive our debtors” or “forgive those who trespass against us”. I admit that I am a work in progress in this area who is pleased to admit some progress.
May God Be a Blessing in Your Life
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The great commission vs. bumper stickers
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)

I read an article this morning about a bumper sticker that reads “Please Lord, Save Me From Your Followers” in which the author spoke of Christians who offend by “pushing the Word of God down your throat”.
I am a member of a church who’s first premise is the Great Commission so I had to examine the impact of this and other negative responses to attempts at evangelism.
Many Christians are afraid to speak of their faith for fear of turning folks off or of offending. Some of us are plain selfish and so happy in our own relationship with the Holy Spirit that we don’t think of taking the time to share.
I have a happy experience to share: Our pastor has an out-of-town visitor and a group of us women in the church took responsibility for showing her our little bit of Florida.
Nothing was planned in advance because we didn’t know she was coming. We just all did what is natural for us. We took her to concerts, a fashion show, lots of dinners/lunches and movies. In the meantime we continued our normal work for the church.
Our hearts swelled with gratitude and our eyes filled with tears when Pastor announced that her friend remarked that she was returning home with a renewed sense of purpose after spending time with us.
I believe that we have incorporated The Great Commission into our daily lives and this leaves little room to offend.
Pastor teaches “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Matthew 11:15. When The Word has become a part of your life there are plenty of opportunities for the world to hear.
May God Be a Blessing in Your Life!!
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)

I read an article this morning about a bumper sticker that reads “Please Lord, Save Me From Your Followers” in which the author spoke of Christians who offend by “pushing the Word of God down your throat”.
I am a member of a church who’s first premise is the Great Commission so I had to examine the impact of this and other negative responses to attempts at evangelism.
Many Christians are afraid to speak of their faith for fear of turning folks off or of offending. Some of us are plain selfish and so happy in our own relationship with the Holy Spirit that we don’t think of taking the time to share.
I have a happy experience to share: Our pastor has an out-of-town visitor and a group of us women in the church took responsibility for showing her our little bit of Florida.
Nothing was planned in advance because we didn’t know she was coming. We just all did what is natural for us. We took her to concerts, a fashion show, lots of dinners/lunches and movies. In the meantime we continued our normal work for the church.
Our hearts swelled with gratitude and our eyes filled with tears when Pastor announced that her friend remarked that she was returning home with a renewed sense of purpose after spending time with us.
I believe that we have incorporated The Great Commission into our daily lives and this leaves little room to offend.
Pastor teaches “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Matthew 11:15. When The Word has become a part of your life there are plenty of opportunities for the world to hear.
May God Be a Blessing in Your Life!!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Young people in bible-Joseph
Genesis 37:1-11
37:1 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
37:2 These [are] the generations of Jacob. Joseph, [being] seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad [was] with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he [was] the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of [many] colours.
37:4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
37:5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told [it] his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
37:6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
37:7 For, behold, we [were] binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
37:8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
37:9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
37:10 And he told [it] to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What [is] this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
37:11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
At seventeen, Joseph had a serious problem with tact. Sometimes we are so caught up in the excitement of our visions and our blessings that we are insensitive to the impact our words have on those around us.
Joseph paid a heavy price for the envy and hatred his brothers felt because his father made his favoritism very obvious and because of his lofty dreams. In the end Joseph lived to become a great man and all of his dreams came to fulfillment. He brought hope and prosperity, not only to his family, but the all of the people of God.
There are many lessons here.
Which lessons pop out at you?
May God Be a Blessing in your life!
37:1 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
37:2 These [are] the generations of Jacob. Joseph, [being] seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad [was] with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he [was] the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of [many] colours.
37:4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
37:5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told [it] his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
37:6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
37:7 For, behold, we [were] binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
37:8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
37:9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
37:10 And he told [it] to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What [is] this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
37:11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
At seventeen, Joseph had a serious problem with tact. Sometimes we are so caught up in the excitement of our visions and our blessings that we are insensitive to the impact our words have on those around us.
Joseph paid a heavy price for the envy and hatred his brothers felt because his father made his favoritism very obvious and because of his lofty dreams. In the end Joseph lived to become a great man and all of his dreams came to fulfillment. He brought hope and prosperity, not only to his family, but the all of the people of God.
There are many lessons here.
Which lessons pop out at you?
May God Be a Blessing in your life!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Attempts to begin to understand the word “glory” can be daunting, starting with a quest to find a simple definition.
One of the first definitions that popped up in a search is very comprehensive and worth reading for study, but did not, for me, engage the personal presence of The Holy Spirit. (http://www.bible-history.com/isbe/G/GLORY/)
Most of us are familiar with the song “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”, a beautiful poem set to music which speaks of the living, working Glory of The Holy Spirit. It was interesting to look at the history of the song and to re-examine the lyrics with an open heart.
Also posted is a brief history of the song that might be of interest.
Battle Hymn of the Republic
Traditional
Written By: Julia Ward Howe
Music By: William Steffe
Copyright Unknown
Mine eyes have seen the glory
Of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage
Where the grapes of wrath are stor'd;
He hath loos'd the fateful lightning
Of His terrible swift sword:
(Chorus)
His truth is marching on.
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
I have seen Him in the watchfires
Of a hundred circling camps,
They have builded Him an altar
In the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence
By the dim and flaring lamps:
His day is marching on.
(Chorus)
I have read a fiery gospel
Writ in burnished rows of steel:
"As ye deal with My contemners,
So with you My grace shall deal:"
Let the Hero born of woman
Crush the serpent with His heel,
Since God is marching on.
(Chorus)
He has sounded forth the trumpet
That shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men
Before His judgment seat.
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him!
Be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.
(Chorus)
In the beauty of the lilies
Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom
That transfigures you and me;
As He died to make men holy
Let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
History from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.
"The Battle Hymn of the Republic" is an American abolitionist song. The lyrics were written by Julia Ward Howe in November 1861 and first published in The Atlantic Monthly in February 1862. It became popular during the American Civil War.
History
The tune was written around 1855 by William Steffe. The first known lyrics were called "Canaan's Happy Shore" or "Brothers, Will You Meet Me?" and the song was sung as a campfire spiritual. The tune spread across the United States, taking on many sets of new lyrics.
Thomas Bishop, from Vermont, joined the Massachusetts Infantry before the outbreak of war and compiled a popular set of lyrics, circa 1860, titled "John Brown's Body" which became one of his unit's walking songs. According to writer Irwin Silber (who has written a book about Civil War folk songs), the original lyrics were only obliquely about John Brown, the famed abolitionist. More particularly the lyrics were about a Scotsman of the same name who was a member of the 12th Massachusetts Regiment, and the lyrics were composed to poke some good-natured fun at the runty, mild-mannered Scotsman who shared the same name as the much more famous and fearsome abolitionist.[1]
Bishop's battalion was dispatched to Washington, D.C. early in the Civil War, and Julia Ward Howe heard this song during a public review of the troops in Washington. Rufus R. Dawes, then in command of Company "K" of the Sixth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, stated in his memoirs that the man who started the singing was Sergeant John Ticknor of his company. By this time the association with the diminutive Scotsman John Brown was forgotten or unknown to most listeners, who heard only a rough and somewhat oddly-phrased marching song about John Brown the abolitionist. Howe's companion at the review, the Reverend James Clarke, suggested to Howe that she write new words for the fighting men's song. Staying at the Willard Hotel in Washington on the night of November 18, 1861, Howe awoke with the words of the song in her mind and in near darkness wrote the verses to the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" [1]. Of the writing of the lyrics, Howe remembers, "I went to bed that night as usual, and slept, according to my wont, quite soundly. I awoke in the gray of the morning twilight; and as I lay waiting for the dawn, the long lines of the desired poem began to twine themselves in my mind. Having thought out all the stanzas, I said to myself, 'I must get up and write these verses down, lest I fall asleep again and forget them.' So, with a sudden effort, I sprang out of bed, and found in the dimness an old stump of a pen which I remembered to have used the day before. I scrawled the verses almost without looking at the paper."[2]
Howe's "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" was first published on the front page of The Atlantic Monthly of February 1862. The sixth verse written by Howe, which is less commonly sung, was not published at that time. The song was also published as a broadside in 1863 by the Supervisory Committee for Recruiting Colored Regiments in Philadelphia.
A website worth visiting if you have kids! http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/b081.html
May God Be a Blessing in Your Life!
One of the first definitions that popped up in a search is very comprehensive and worth reading for study, but did not, for me, engage the personal presence of The Holy Spirit. (http://www.bible-history.com/isbe/G/GLORY/)
Most of us are familiar with the song “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”, a beautiful poem set to music which speaks of the living, working Glory of The Holy Spirit. It was interesting to look at the history of the song and to re-examine the lyrics with an open heart.
Also posted is a brief history of the song that might be of interest.
Battle Hymn of the Republic
Traditional
Written By: Julia Ward Howe
Music By: William Steffe
Copyright Unknown
Mine eyes have seen the glory
Of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage
Where the grapes of wrath are stor'd;
He hath loos'd the fateful lightning
Of His terrible swift sword:
(Chorus)
His truth is marching on.
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
I have seen Him in the watchfires
Of a hundred circling camps,
They have builded Him an altar
In the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence
By the dim and flaring lamps:
His day is marching on.
(Chorus)
I have read a fiery gospel
Writ in burnished rows of steel:
"As ye deal with My contemners,
So with you My grace shall deal:"
Let the Hero born of woman
Crush the serpent with His heel,
Since God is marching on.
(Chorus)
He has sounded forth the trumpet
That shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men
Before His judgment seat.
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him!
Be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.
(Chorus)
In the beauty of the lilies
Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom
That transfigures you and me;
As He died to make men holy
Let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
History from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.
"The Battle Hymn of the Republic" is an American abolitionist song. The lyrics were written by Julia Ward Howe in November 1861 and first published in The Atlantic Monthly in February 1862. It became popular during the American Civil War.
History
The tune was written around 1855 by William Steffe. The first known lyrics were called "Canaan's Happy Shore" or "Brothers, Will You Meet Me?" and the song was sung as a campfire spiritual. The tune spread across the United States, taking on many sets of new lyrics.
Thomas Bishop, from Vermont, joined the Massachusetts Infantry before the outbreak of war and compiled a popular set of lyrics, circa 1860, titled "John Brown's Body" which became one of his unit's walking songs. According to writer Irwin Silber (who has written a book about Civil War folk songs), the original lyrics were only obliquely about John Brown, the famed abolitionist. More particularly the lyrics were about a Scotsman of the same name who was a member of the 12th Massachusetts Regiment, and the lyrics were composed to poke some good-natured fun at the runty, mild-mannered Scotsman who shared the same name as the much more famous and fearsome abolitionist.[1]
Bishop's battalion was dispatched to Washington, D.C. early in the Civil War, and Julia Ward Howe heard this song during a public review of the troops in Washington. Rufus R. Dawes, then in command of Company "K" of the Sixth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, stated in his memoirs that the man who started the singing was Sergeant John Ticknor of his company. By this time the association with the diminutive Scotsman John Brown was forgotten or unknown to most listeners, who heard only a rough and somewhat oddly-phrased marching song about John Brown the abolitionist. Howe's companion at the review, the Reverend James Clarke, suggested to Howe that she write new words for the fighting men's song. Staying at the Willard Hotel in Washington on the night of November 18, 1861, Howe awoke with the words of the song in her mind and in near darkness wrote the verses to the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" [1]. Of the writing of the lyrics, Howe remembers, "I went to bed that night as usual, and slept, according to my wont, quite soundly. I awoke in the gray of the morning twilight; and as I lay waiting for the dawn, the long lines of the desired poem began to twine themselves in my mind. Having thought out all the stanzas, I said to myself, 'I must get up and write these verses down, lest I fall asleep again and forget them.' So, with a sudden effort, I sprang out of bed, and found in the dimness an old stump of a pen which I remembered to have used the day before. I scrawled the verses almost without looking at the paper."[2]
Howe's "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" was first published on the front page of The Atlantic Monthly of February 1862. The sixth verse written by Howe, which is less commonly sung, was not published at that time. The song was also published as a broadside in 1863 by the Supervisory Committee for Recruiting Colored Regiments in Philadelphia.
A website worth visiting if you have kids! http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/b081.html
May God Be a Blessing in Your Life!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Women and prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional connection to some greater power in the universe through deliberate intentional practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words, song, or complete silence. When language is used, prayer may take the form of a hymn, incantation, formal creedal statement, or a spontaneous utterance in the praying person. There are different forms of prayer such as petitionary prayer, prayers of supplication, thanksgiving, and worship/praise.
This cold. Impersonal dictionary definition of prayer does not even begin to depict the glory of Christian prayer.
Just the knowledge that we have the right as children of the most high to go before our Lord in prayer is powerful and fulfilling in itself. Some of us are intimidated by those members of the church who are always called on to pray because their prayer seems so perfect and encompassing; but I have found the simple act of a heartfelt “Thank you, Lord” has opened the door for a warm visit from the Holy Spirit.
My favorite prayer continues to be “The Lords Prayer” or the model prayer……..
9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
10Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11Give us this day our daily bread.
12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Matthew 6: 9-13 (King James Version)
There is a wonderful little book by Evelyn Christenson entitled “What Happens When Women Pray” that might warm your heart.
May God always be a blessing in your life.
This cold. Impersonal dictionary definition of prayer does not even begin to depict the glory of Christian prayer.
Just the knowledge that we have the right as children of the most high to go before our Lord in prayer is powerful and fulfilling in itself. Some of us are intimidated by those members of the church who are always called on to pray because their prayer seems so perfect and encompassing; but I have found the simple act of a heartfelt “Thank you, Lord” has opened the door for a warm visit from the Holy Spirit.
My favorite prayer continues to be “The Lords Prayer” or the model prayer……..
9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
10Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11Give us this day our daily bread.
12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Matthew 6: 9-13 (King James Version)
There is a wonderful little book by Evelyn Christenson entitled “What Happens When Women Pray” that might warm your heart.
May God always be a blessing in your life.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
There is much to learn about the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This is a topic of great importance in the life of every Christian and this is just one of many lessons on the subject. The link to this study is listed below.
Spiritual Gifts are presented in scripture as a means of provoking good works and spiritual soundness within the Body of Christ for the glory of God. Note the following...
Faith (1 Cor. 12:9) Demonstrating that it is by faith alone that we please God (Hebrews 11:6). Often, Christians will serve people to please people. This is dangerous and futile. Godly service always aims to please God when ministering to others (John 8:29).
Knowledge (1 Cor. 12:8) The gift of knowledge is essential to ministering to others. Knowing what to say makes for effective ministry.
Wisdom (1 Cor. 12:8) The ability to take knowledge and exact it in a manner that will produce results.
Discernment (1 Cor. 12:10) The ability to separate truth from error. Very often Satan will beguile Christians with error that stands along side truth. The Church at Galatia fell victim to this scheme.
Prophecy (Romans 12:6) This gift is applied in forth-telling; not fore-telling. With The Bible Complete, fore-telling is no longer necessary. The apostle Paul reminded Timothy that he was to preach the Word (2 Timothy 4:2).
Teaching (Romans 12:7)The ability to take a person from point a to point b.
Exhortation (Romans 12:8) The ability to comfort another.
Shepherding (Ephesians 4:11) The ability to protect, provide and lead. Shepherding is the role of pastoring. It is likely that pastors possess most if not all of these gifts.
Showing Mercy (Romans 12:8) The ability to exact compassion. This gift demonstrates that God would rather forgive than judge, convert and not condemn (Romans 2:4).
Helping (1 Cor. 12:28) One who sees the need, and like Christ, will act to aid without bringing attention to themselves.
Giving (Romans 12:8) The ability to impart what is necessary to accomplish a task.
Ruling (Romans 12:8) The ability to lead others to act willingly for the glory of God. They do not lord over people and programs... they lead by example.
Evangelism (Ephesians 4:11) The ability to carry a Christ filled message with a Christ-like attitude.
Governing (1 Cor. 12:28) The ability to organize for the good of others.
Hospitality (1 Peter 4:9) The ability to demonstrate the hospitable likeness of Jesus Christ. Accessible, Available, with the desire to accommodate.
As a Christian grows in their relationship with Christ, they will find themselves increasingly compelled to serve others in the likeness of Jesus Christ for the glory of God. We are instructed to use our spiritual gifts for the benefit of the body of Christ. The key to knowing and applying your spiritual gift is a sound study of God's Word and prayer.
http://www.invitationtochrist.org/spiritual_gifts.htm for further study.
May God be a blessing in your life.
Note: Tomorrows scripture is Mark 4: 1-9. Be prepared!
Spiritual Gifts are presented in scripture as a means of provoking good works and spiritual soundness within the Body of Christ for the glory of God. Note the following...
Faith (1 Cor. 12:9) Demonstrating that it is by faith alone that we please God (Hebrews 11:6). Often, Christians will serve people to please people. This is dangerous and futile. Godly service always aims to please God when ministering to others (John 8:29).
Knowledge (1 Cor. 12:8) The gift of knowledge is essential to ministering to others. Knowing what to say makes for effective ministry.
Wisdom (1 Cor. 12:8) The ability to take knowledge and exact it in a manner that will produce results.
Discernment (1 Cor. 12:10) The ability to separate truth from error. Very often Satan will beguile Christians with error that stands along side truth. The Church at Galatia fell victim to this scheme.
Prophecy (Romans 12:6) This gift is applied in forth-telling; not fore-telling. With The Bible Complete, fore-telling is no longer necessary. The apostle Paul reminded Timothy that he was to preach the Word (2 Timothy 4:2).
Teaching (Romans 12:7)The ability to take a person from point a to point b.
Exhortation (Romans 12:8) The ability to comfort another.
Shepherding (Ephesians 4:11) The ability to protect, provide and lead. Shepherding is the role of pastoring. It is likely that pastors possess most if not all of these gifts.
Showing Mercy (Romans 12:8) The ability to exact compassion. This gift demonstrates that God would rather forgive than judge, convert and not condemn (Romans 2:4).
Helping (1 Cor. 12:28) One who sees the need, and like Christ, will act to aid without bringing attention to themselves.
Giving (Romans 12:8) The ability to impart what is necessary to accomplish a task.
Ruling (Romans 12:8) The ability to lead others to act willingly for the glory of God. They do not lord over people and programs... they lead by example.
Evangelism (Ephesians 4:11) The ability to carry a Christ filled message with a Christ-like attitude.
Governing (1 Cor. 12:28) The ability to organize for the good of others.
Hospitality (1 Peter 4:9) The ability to demonstrate the hospitable likeness of Jesus Christ. Accessible, Available, with the desire to accommodate.
As a Christian grows in their relationship with Christ, they will find themselves increasingly compelled to serve others in the likeness of Jesus Christ for the glory of God. We are instructed to use our spiritual gifts for the benefit of the body of Christ. The key to knowing and applying your spiritual gift is a sound study of God's Word and prayer.
http://www.invitationtochrist.org/spiritual_gifts.htm for further study.
May God be a blessing in your life.
Note: Tomorrows scripture is Mark 4: 1-9. Be prepared!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Psalm 95:1-6 (KJV)
"O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker."
I wanted to share with you today a poem of thanksgiving by Carolyn Lynn Schwartz who is a singer, songwriter, radio talk host, poet and author. Her website is www.energizeministries.com. She is the author of
Her poem
Wherever you find yourself today,
Whether filled with joy or wrapped in pain,
Remember to pause a moment and give thanks
For no other event in our history and time,
Can change our lives like the birth of Christ – so Divine.
His love never failing, and His Presence always near
The greatest wonder in Heaven on Christmas did appear.
God’s gift full of grace that brings life, love, and hope,
Can be unwrapped by us all - changing life’s scope.
For when we invite His life into our hearts,
No love is greater than that He imparts.
So wherever you find yourself today,
Remember to pause and give thanks,
For He is the Truth and the Way!
--© 2007 – Carolyn Lynn Schwartz
God Bless!
"O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker."
I wanted to share with you today a poem of thanksgiving by Carolyn Lynn Schwartz who is a singer, songwriter, radio talk host, poet and author. Her website is www.energizeministries.com. She is the author of
Reflections And PathwaysIs God your steering wheel or your emergency brake?
Her poem
Wherever you find yourself today,
Whether filled with joy or wrapped in pain,
Remember to pause a moment and give thanks
For no other event in our history and time,
Can change our lives like the birth of Christ – so Divine.
His love never failing, and His Presence always near
The greatest wonder in Heaven on Christmas did appear.
God’s gift full of grace that brings life, love, and hope,
Can be unwrapped by us all - changing life’s scope.
For when we invite His life into our hearts,
No love is greater than that He imparts.
So wherever you find yourself today,
Remember to pause and give thanks,
For He is the Truth and the Way!
--© 2007 – Carolyn Lynn Schwartz
God Bless!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
prayer 2/3/2010
May today be all you need it to be .
May the peace of God and the freshness of the Holy Spirit rest in your thoughts, rule in your dreams , and conquer all your fears.
May God manifest Himself today in ways you have never experienced. May your joys be fulfilled, your dreams be closer, and your prayers
be answered.
I pray that faith enters a new height for you;
I pray that your territory is enlarged.
I pray for peace, healing, health, happiness, prosperity, joy, true and
undying love for God. God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
"We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." —Romans 5:1 (NIV)
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." —John 3:16 (NIV)
"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." —John 10:10 (NIV)
May the peace of God and the freshness of the Holy Spirit rest in your thoughts, rule in your dreams , and conquer all your fears.
May God manifest Himself today in ways you have never experienced. May your joys be fulfilled, your dreams be closer, and your prayers
be answered.
I pray that faith enters a new height for you;
I pray that your territory is enlarged.
I pray for peace, healing, health, happiness, prosperity, joy, true and
undying love for God. God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
"We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." —Romans 5:1 (NIV)
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." —John 3:16 (NIV)
"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." —John 10:10 (NIV)
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
WELCOME!!!

Welcome to our new site for Christian education and dialogue. The Tabernacle of Higher Learning Christian Center, Inc., is a church wholly dedicated to the Great Commission:
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost; 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 28:19-20.
Who We Are:
History of Tabernacle of Higher Learning Christian Center, Inc.
January 1998, Sister Samida Johnson approached Minister Roosevelt Johnson, the former pastor of New Life General Baptist Church about starting a Bible study group at the church. . Sister Johnson wanted the learning process to be a dialogue not just a monologue. Her focus was the application of spiritual principles of the Bible to their everyday lives.
June 8, 1998, the women at New Life General Baptist Church in Palmetto, Florida, under the leadership of Sister Johnson, came together to form the Women*s Bible study group. The core group was made up of members from the Women*s Missionary Society. The women had a burning desire *to have a closer walk with God*. They took to heart the concerns of the community.
In 2000, the program added another component, the Sunday School Teachers class. Participants included Sunday school teachers and members from New Life and other churches in the community.
In 2002, the Bible study schedule expanded to include hours on Saturdays at the Anna-Gayle Center in Palmetto, Florida.
May, 2002, Sister Johnson felt the call to start a Christian Learning Center. The center is a place where people can come to expand their knowledge of the word in a group setting or on an individual basis.
January 14, 2005, the Tabernacle of Higher Learning Christian Center, Inc. was incorporated as a Christian non-profit Corporation pursuant to Florida Chapter 617 Articles of Incorporation. The vision has become a reality.
February 6, 2005, The Tabernacle of Higher Learning Christian Center, Inc., (Tabernacle) opened its doors at 1815 Second Ave East, Bradenton, Florida. Matthew 28: 19-20, became the marching orders of the ministry: *Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the ends of the world, Amen.*
Our mission is: To glorify God, serve others, bring people to Jesus by sharing his love through word and deed, build them in the Word of Christ and equip them to fulfill the Great Commission of Christ.
Our Vision is:
First, to make individual disciples;
Second, to build up the church;
Third, to teach and instuct as He has commanded.
The Tabenacle of Higher Learning Chritian Center is located at
5533 33rd Street East
Bradenton, Florida 34203
941.756.1929
941.799.0445
On-going Ministries
Community Prayer............................................... Monday 6 pm
Bible Study................................................................Monday 6:30 pm
Sunday School Preparatory...............................Monday 7:30 pm
Anchor House (Marine Ministry).....................Tuesday 6 pm
N/A Meeting...............................................................Tuesday 7 pm
Sisterhood..................................................................Second Thursday 6:30 pm
Two By Two (Men's Ministry).............................First Wednesday 6:30 pm
Food Bank Distribution........................................Friday 4-5:30 pm
Bible Explosion for Youth....................................Friday 6:30 pm
Prison Ministry.........................................................Spring through Fall per prison regulations
Commodity Distribution......................................Monthly (941.799.0445 for dates and time)
Welcome!!!
Welcome to our new site for Christian education and dialogue. The Tabernacle of Higher Learning Christian Center, Inc., is a church wholly dedicated to the Great Commission:
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost; 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 28:19-20.
Who We Are:
History of Tabernacle of Higher Learning Christian Center, Inc.
January 1998, Sister Samida Johnson approached Minister Roosevelt Johnson, the former pastor of New Life General Baptist Church about starting a Bible study group at the church. . Sister Johnson wanted the learning process to be a dialogue not just a monologue. Her focus was the application of spiritual principles of the Bible to their everyday lives.
June 8, 1998, the women at New Life General Baptist Church in Palmetto, Florida, under the leadership of Sister Johnson, came together to form the Women*s Bible study group. The core group was made up of members from the Women*s Missionary Society. The women had a burning desire *to have a closer walk with God*. They took to heart the concerns of the community.
In 2000, the program added another component, the Sunday School Teachers class. Participants included Sunday school teachers and members from New Life and other churches in the community.
In 2002, the Bible study schedule expanded to include hours on Saturdays at the Anna-Gayle Center in Palmetto, Florida.
May, 2002, Sister Johnson felt the call to start a Christian Learning Center. The center is a place where people can come to expand their knowledge of the word in a group setting or on an individual basis.
January 14, 2005, the Tabernacle of Higher Learning Christian Center, Inc. was incorporated as a Christian non-profit Corporation pursuant to Florida Chapter 617 Articles of Incorporation. The vision has become a reality.
February 6, 2005, The Tabernacle of Higher Learning Christian Center, Inc., (Tabernacle) opened its doors at 1815 Second Ave East, Bradenton, Florida. Matthew 28: 19-20, became the marching orders of the ministry: *Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the ends of the world, Amen.*
Mission Statement of The Tabernacle of Higher Learning Christian Center, Inc.
Our mission is: To glorify God, serve others, bring people to Jesus by sharing his love through word and deed, build them in the Word of Christ and equip them to fulfill the Great Commission of Christ.
Our Vision is:
First, to make individual disciples;
Second, to build up the church;
Third, to teach and instuct as He has commanded.
The Tabenacle of Higher Learning Chritian Center is located at
5533 33rd Street East
Bradenton, Florida 34203
941.756.1929
941.799.0445
On-going Ministries
Community Prayer............................................... Monday 6 pm
Bible Study................................................................Monday 6:30 pm
Sunday School Preparatory...............................Monday 7:30 pm
Anchor House (Marine Ministry).....................Tuesday 6 pm
N/A Meeting...............................................................Tuesday 7 pm
Sisterhood..................................................................Second Thursday 6:30 pm
Two By Two (Men's Ministry).............................First Wednesday 6:30 pm
Food Bank Distribution........................................Friday 4-5:30 pm
Bible Explosion for Youth....................................Friday 6:30 pm
Prison Ministry.........................................................Spring through Fall per prison regulations
Commodity Distribution......................................Monthly (941.799.0445 for dates and time)
Welcome!!!
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